Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i National Geographic Traveller (UK)

Jessica Vincent When it comes to fine dining in Norway, Oslo and Bergen have stolen the limelight. But a new appreciation for Trondheim’s ingredients — fjord-fresh seafood, game meat and wild edibles — is breathing culinary life back into this former Viking capital. TRONDHEIM P.54 Jamie Lafferty Even on my fifth visit to Tokyo, the city still felt dizzyingly colossal, but breaking it down into individual neighbourhoods made it feel a little more manageable. Too vast to fully appreciate, Tokyo is nonetheless thrilling and quite unlike anywhere else. TOKYO P.68 Amelia Duggan Belize may be famous for its jungle-clad Maya citadels and Caribbean reefs, but my time in the Central American nation showed me its natural riches are matched by a melting pot of communities, each striving to preserve and…

Kevin became interested in the craft of blacksmithing at an early age, when he trained as an apprentice at a local smiddy (smithy). He uses age-old techniques to shape metal with fire, hammers and anvils, forging ahead with his unique inventions from his workshop in Ratho, Edinburgh. Inspired by the countryside and mother nature, he loves to turn junk metal into art, including Highland cows, horses and human sculptures. He also features regularly on the TV programmes Money for Nothing and Scrap Kings, inspiring a new wave of creatives to take up the craft while preserving this fascinating tradition. JEREMY FLINT • PHOTOGRAPHER jeremyflintphotography.com @jeremyflintphotography…

Art-lovers’ eyes are on the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco, set to open in October in the formerly industrial Dogpatch neighbourhood. With a focus on social justice, it debuts with an installation by painter and sculptor Jeffrey Gibson, of Choctaw and Cherokee heritage, and a group exhibit celebrating Black women across sculpture, photography, painting and textiles. Over in the historic Civic Center district, meanwhile, the San Francisco Opera company is preparing for its 100th anniversary in September. The centennial celebrations kick off in spectacular fashion with the world premiere of Antony and Cleopatra, a new opera written for the occasion by composer John Adams. It runs until 1 July 2023, alongside new productions and old favourites — plus a roster of special events, including a La traviatathemed party, backstage…

1 EASTPAK TRANSVERZ M SUITCASE The Transverz softshell luggage collection is light, durable and convenient. Top and side straps, a retractable handle and wheels make these trolleys easy to carry, while a water-resistant fabric and built-in TSA lock give you peace of mind when you’re on the go. Available in three sizes, the medium is ideal for a week-long break. £145. eastpak.com 2 BELLROY SLING MINI CROSS-BODY BAG Keep your essentials in close reach with the Sling Mini, a go-to for museum visits or a fast-paced night out. Its small body comes with a 4L storage capacity, but an expandable side gusset keeps the bag slim when the load is light. Internal divisions, including a soft-lined sunglasses pouch and key clip, ensure minimal rummaging. £79. bellroy.com 3 BIRD ATHENE SUNGLASSES…

What set you on your path to space? I’ve always liked to explore, to go into the unknown. Growing up, there was a huge emphasis on extracurricular activities, such as Scouts and cadets. Then, when I was 18, I went to Alaska for three months on a Raleigh International expedition. We kayaked around Prince William Sound and hiked into Denali National Park. I couldn’t believe how precious and special this wild environment was. I think that sowed the seeds. What advice would you give to budding astronauts? There’s an easier way than following my route! I left school with poor A-levels and spent the next 18 years as a military pilot. When the army tried to pull me away from the cockpit and send me up the career chain, I…

There are two sides to every story. When people think of Tenerife, they often picture the island’s south coast — home to a warm, dry and eternally summery climate and resort towns strung along the shore. The north coast of the largest of the Canary Islands, however, is a different beast: buffeted by bracing trade winds and blessed by Atlantic rain showers, it reveals a greener, wilder and less familiar side of the Canaries — an area where visitors can burrow into the island’s fascinating past. Here, you’ll find historic, mustard-hued towns and shadowy caves that echo with the legacy of the Indigenous Guanches people. It’s a place where you can swiftly strike into remote and otherworldly landscapes: head north east on ear-popping mountain roads to reach basalt cliffs teetering…

HARAJUKU Tokyo’s most famous district is the spiritual home of self-expression in the city, filled with quirky emporiums and indie clothing boutiques The well-documented pressure in Japanese society to conform is sometimes summed up by the idiom ‘the nail that stands out gets hammered down.’ For a long time, Harajuku, the celebrated fashion and shopping neighbourhood in the west of Tokyo, was blissfully hammer-free. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, it became the international poster child of Japanese eccentricity, a hub of genuine counterculture where young Tokyoites spectacularly rejected the standards of so many of their peers by dressing in madly creative costumes. Today, the commitment to bombastic fashion has lessened and the fashionistas are becoming an endangered species in their one-time stronghold. Clinging on to the petticoated Lolita styles…

“I started running errands here after school and on weekends in 1965,” reminisces Billy Mitchell, as he swings open the auditorium doors. “And before I knew it, I’m meeting all these wonderful people. The Temptations. The Supremes. James Brown and Marvin Gaye took a real liking to me — especially Mr Brown. He’d ask how my schoolwork was going.” It’s a 30C morning in mid-June, but we’ve escaped the oppressive heat in the cool embrace of the Apollo Theater. Empty red seats cascade around us; lights illuminate the stage, set for tonight’s show. It’s a scene Billy, an Apollo veteran and ambassador of nearly 60 years, has seen many times. But as a rookie, I’m entranced by the storied space, and by Billy’s genuine charm; he’s met everyone in the…

TH EEXPERTS Emma Gregg Travel writer Michael Budge Head of ATOL, UK Civil Aviation Authority Sarah Barrell Senior editor, National Geographic Traveller (UK) Clarissa Wei Food and travel writer Can you recommend affordable safari lodges in Africa for under £100 a night? Greater Kruger has it all, being an excellent place to see the Big Five (buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino) at close range. While its finest all-inclusive lodges are eye-wateringly expensive, it also has some bargain accommodation. Skukuza Safari Lodge, one of the newest, is a game-changer. A sleek, modern eco-hotel, it’s owned by South African National Parks, and you can’t fault its location — right in the thick of things in Kruger National Park — or its facilities, which include a gym and pool. The only downside…

A basic fact underpins the appeal of European rail travel: trains are great. It takes a hard-boiled traveller not to be seduced by the prospect of rumbling through the Alps in a dining car, or watching locals hop on and off as you trundle through the Balkans or be wowed by the sunlit swell of Italian vineyards revealed behind the window blind of an overnight train as it rattles into dawn. And this fact was lore long before environmental concerns and the slow travel trend boosted our reverence for rail travel. But with a steady clickety-clack, continental rail travel as a leisure pursuit has grown into something more than it was. Increased airport security and a heightened awareness around carbonintensive flights — coupled with a pandemic-driven change in travel habits…

Among the most coveted travel photography prizes in the country, the National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition is once again open for entries. Judged by a panel of industry-leading photographers and magazine editors, this is your chance to get your work noticed. Submit images in up to six categories to be in the running to win the incredible Grand Prize and for the chance to see your work in the pages of National Geographic Traveller (UK). Have you got what it takes to win? ENTER YOUR TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY NOW! CATEGORIES FOOD & TRAVEL This new category calls for images that tell a story from any stage of the journey from field to fork. Think dynamic scenes of fishing, farming or harvest, rich shots of bustling street food markets and images of…

Read more about Europe’s rail revolution on p.154 From a cross-country service in County Durham to a coast-to-coast line in Cornwall, defunct British train lines and stations are getting a new lease of life. Thanks to the Restoring Your Railway scheme, launched by the UK Government in 2020, a further £15m was earmarked for the development of rural railways this summer — that’s in addition to the initial £500m that will support over 45 railway projects across the country. In 1963, chairman of the British Railways Board Richard Beeching identified 5,000 miles of track and 2,363 stations for closure. The so-called ‘Beeching cuts’ went deep into the countryside, severing access into the nation’s rural heart. Nine new projects involving these axed lines are receiving funding, including the historic Barrow Hill…

St Joseph’s Small but perfectly formed, Dubrovnik’s size is part of its charm — the Old Town is encircled by more than a mile of walls, while inside, the glistening stone streets and grand buildings look much as they have done for hundreds of years. But what makes it alluring for visitors, is exactly why the city’s hotel scene is somewhat static — there simply isn’t the space for new openings. That’s why Dubrovnik renovates and extends, keeping what’s already there in tip-top condition, with the majority of new hotels often outside the city walls or close to Dubrovnik airport. Back in the Old Town, however, the latest property to get a revamp is St Joseph’s, already one of the most quietly luxurious places to stay in the city. It…

THE DESTINATION Clustered around peaceful, reed-fringed lakes on the edge of the Cotswolds, The Lakes By Yoo offers a luxurious Gloucestershire escape. New this summer is a collection of elegant waterside cabins and apartments, ideal for couples, families and groups of friends. Immaculately designed, each retreat blends all the creature comforts of a luxury hotel with the best local materials, offering a peaceful, open-plan retreat from daily life. It’s the perfect spot for simply unwinding by the water or exploring the area, be it on a countryside ramble or a rummage around the shops of one of the region’s honey-hued market towns. THE PRIZE The winner and up to five guests will enjoy a two-night stay in an apartment on a half-board basis, courtesy of The Lakes By Yoo. Breakfast…

It’s approaching midnight, but the food keeps coming. Arctic char with chanterelles and plums. Spiced monkfish with smoked fiddlehead greens. Yakatori-style langoustine served on a dish made with crustacean shells. I’m already stuffed, but two desserts (rhubarb sorbet and fresh milk ice cream) and a selection of petit fours (baby miso buns and waffles) are yet to come. Like Norway’s summer light, the ambitious 20-course menu at Credo — one of three restaurants in Trondheim to be awarded a Michelin star in the past couple of years — lasts well into the night. Hours earlier, I’d started with seaweed and oyster tartlets served on the restaurant’s mezzanine, a cosy hangout with low-slung leather chairs and a gallery dedicated to images of the restaurant’s cows, before continuing in the former dairy…

GINZA YAMANOBE EDO CHUKA Yamanobe’s unassuming interior and relatively humble looking dishes give few clues about the quality of this innovative Edomae-style Chinese restaurant. The intimate setting and focus on perfecting the omakase (chef’s selection) dishes earned it a Michelin star in 2020 and it’s been hailed by critics as offering a ‘new genre’ of food. Book well in advance. ginza-yamanobe.com SUSHI TAKE It may initially seem that Sushi Take is just another Edomae-style sushi place in Ginza, serving the chef’s recommendations of fine sushi. There’s one key difference here, however: chef Tsukasa Takeuchi is one of Tokyo’s few female sushi chefs. She also speaks good English and can help demystify her menu should you need help. 7 Chome-6-5 Ginza, Chuo City TSUJIRIHEI If you want to try traditional matcha…

Back in 1992, the opening of the first McDonald’s in Prague was a red-carpet event. Gowns were worn, celebrities were summoned, paparazzi stood poised and 11,000 people lined the streets. With the ousting of communism after the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the ascent of Westernised, globalised culture was swift and the city’s newly liberated locals were hungry for all that had been suppressed during the 40-year Soviet rule. Then came tourism, ushering in all the heady highs and inevitable lows of easy-spending, camera-wielding travellers to the compact, cobbled streets of Prague’s medieval Old Town, including a slew of stag parties, which the Czech capital has been at pains to curb. But times change and, in recent years, a new generation of young, creative, entrepreneurial locals — the first to be…

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR BEGINNERS? If you’re a complete beginner, you’ll need a skippered charter, which means a skipper will be in charge but you can take the helm under their guidance. Skippered flotilla holidays are also available, and some companies, such as Sunsail, have centres in Greece and Croatia that offer sailors the chance to take a course — such as the Flotilla Starter and RYA Day Skipper Practical courses — while on board. WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU NEED TO CHARTER A YACHT? If you want to charter a yacht and sail off into the ocean without hiring a skipper, you’ll need a ‘bareboat’ charter, which requires an RYA Day Skipper qualification or International Certificate of Competence (ICC) plus navigational experience. The RYA [Royal Yachting Association] requires five…

THE WINNERS Grand Redesigns THE LANGHAM, BOSTON City Slicker GLENEAGLES TOWNHOUSE, EDINBURGH Good Egg WILDERNESS SAFARIS D UM ATAU, BOTSWANA Love Shack THE ROOSTER, ANTIPAROS, GREECE Boutique Break ARISTIDE HOTEL, SYROS, GREECE Leave the World Behind EXPLORA EL CHALTÉN, ARGENTINA Comeback Kid SIX SENSES FORT BARWARA, INDIA On the Money THE GOODTIME HOTEL, MIAMI Design Den HOSHINO RESORTS KAI POROTO, JAPAN Gourmet Getaway CASA DI LANGA, ITALY Wellness Wonder JOALI BEING, MALDIVES Lord of the Manor CASHEL PALACE HOTEL, IRELAND Snow Queen HOTEL DE LEN, ITALY Castaway SUSSURRO, MOZAMBIQUE THE JUDGING PANEL OF TRAVEL WRITERS JULIA BUCKLEY LEE COBAJ EMMA GREGG LAUREN JADE HILL FRANCISCA KELLETT JAMES LITSTON JOHN O’CEALLAIGH PÓL Ó CONGHAILE NICOLE TRILIVAS & THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER (UK) TEAM GRAND REDESIGNS After a serious sprucing up (and…

ISSUE 106, OCTOBER 2022 Even if you’ve never been to Tokyo, you’ll have no doubt seen Shibuya Crossing. The famous pedestrian crossing is forever used as shorthand for the Japanese capital, the crossroads perfectly illustrating both the order and the population density of one of the world’s largest cities. Yet the Shibuya Crossing is, of course, no more representative of the city than Times Square is of New York, or Leicester Square of London. Visiting the city, you soon realise that Tokyo has endless layers, which often seem to stand in striking contrast with one another — futuristic and traditional, young and old, urban and rural. It’s this that makes Tokyo such an unforgettable destination, and in this issue, we celebrate the glorious diversity of its neighbourhoods — from the…

In Lagos, where I spent many of my childhood years, the streets are filled with the sweet aromas of roasted corn, African pear and roasted plantain, sold by vendors surrounded by crowds of hungry customers. Many Nigerians are reliant on ‘mama puts’ for a dose of comfort cooking, and these women-run food stalls can be found all over the country. With the largest population in Africa and more than 250 ethnic groups, Nigeria brings together cultures, people and history through its food. Many dishes, while enjoyed nationwide, started out as regional specialities, such as efo — braised greens (traditionally amaranth leaves) in a spicy, rich pepper stew — which originated with the Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria. Or edikaikong — arich soup made with water leaves and pumpkin leaves —…

National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh BEST FOR: ALL From December, the major new exhibition Worlds of Wonder will explore the science behind Doctor Who — including time travel — in eight zones of immersive experiences and interactive gizmos. In the meantime, come for an array of exhibits about the natural and human worlds, including a vast whale skull, the taxidermy remains of Dolly the Sheep and galleries tailored to different ages. nms.ac.uk Big Pit National Coal Museum, South Wales BEST FOR: AGES 10-PLUS Once a working coal mine, this fascinating venue north of Pontypool thrills children and adults alike with its subterranean tours, which allow visitors to don helmets and cap lamps for a guided walk around the old tunnels, 295ft below ground. Head on to the former pithead baths…

It’s late at night and I’m lying absolutely still. The hot air is so humid that sweat stings my eyes. All is dark. Cocooned behind insect netting in a cabin, I’m immersed in the forest’s sounds. The experience is so intense that sometimes tears of wonder fill my eyes, their salt merging with the night’s sweat. Sixty thousand species of insect can live in 2.5 acres here in Ecuador’s eastern Amazon. Many of these species sing, creating a multilayered chorus. In the lower registers, a katydid (bush cricket) gives fibrillating bursts. This is overlain with higher, shimmering songs, like dry rice cascading into a steel bowl. Alongside, a hacksaw-like sound delivers regular strokes, the harsh bite of teeth on metal. A sweet trill floats over. Other insects give continuous buzzes,…

OZIERI Staggering down a hillside in a jumble of fresco-painted houses, church spires and terracotta rooftops, Ozieri, in Sardinia’s northern Logudoro region, moves to its own relaxed beat. Famous island-wide, Su pane fine (fine bread) is found on most Sardinian tables, and none is more revered in Ozieri than spianata, a flat bread that’s long been popular with fishermen and farmers. Made with wheat semolina, yeast, water and salt, the bread pairs well with savoury soups, salads and roasted meats. Hand-kneading bread with extraordinary patience and skill, baker Paolo Becciu is rekindling Ozieri’s passion for ancient grains and recipes dating to Neolithic times. The bakery, L’Antico forno di Paolo Becciu, located in Ozieri’s historic centre, has a traditional oven that’s used for village festivals and parties. LANUSEI From its hilltop…

The UK has an extraordinary array of walking trails, ranging from epic mountain traverses to panoramic coastal hikes. Though often simple to access and hugely enjoyable to complete, they should never be underestimated. Mountain rescue professionals know this better than most. Helena Sansum and Ian Blackburn are members of the North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team — one of four such teams across England, Wales and Scotland partnered by technical outdoor brand Helly Hansen. Keen hikers, they’ve explored trails throughout the UK and are well aware of the importance of good preparation and kit. Discover five of their favourite trails in their home patch of Northumberland and beyond. 1 THRUNTON WOOD, NORTHUMBERLAND HELENA: Thrunton is a beautiful, wild wood set on two sandstone escarpments in the countryside west of Alnwick…

Tell us about this image. My wife and I have been living and working in The Gambia on and off for more than two decades, focusing on human-interest stories. But when the opportunity arose to document life along the River Gambia, I knew I’d have to include its wildlife. During our research, we came across the critically endangered red colobus monkeys. A few troops have been identified in the eastern provinces, but the ones I photographed are part of a small group in the western Bijilo Forest Park. How did you achieve the shot? I shot this image on my Canon EOS 5D IV with an EF 24- 105mm lens — my on-the-go set-up. The lens’ versatile focal length allows me to get in close in confined locations, capture landscapes…