Innholdsfortegnelse for January / February 2024 i National Geographic Traveller (UK)

Rachel Lovelock While learning about Bali’s history, ingredients and flavours, I discovered that authentic Balinese food is steeped in the rituals of Balinese-Hindu beliefs. Planning a visit? Be sure to participate in a street food tour or local cooking class. BALI P. 54 Alicia Miller As a born-and-bred Torontonian, I don’t mind saying Montreal has a ‘je ne sais quois’ you won’t find in any other Canadian city. As well as being cool and worldly, warm-and-welcoming Montrealers are some of the most fun people you’ll ever meet. MONTREAL P.144 Duncan Craig You don’t so much cycle across the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna as graze your way through it, fuelled by tangy parmigiano, velvety prosciutto di Parma, resurgent Lambrusco and a dozen other signature delicacies. EMILIA-ROMAGNA P.86 Celeste Brash Tahitians are…

Located on the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula and home to several wide, sandy beaches, Busan has long been where South Koreans come to unwind. But the country’s second city is now coming into its own as a culinary destination, with its boat-fresh seafood and timehonoured recipes beginning to attract international attention. Its place on the world culinary map will be established in February, when the city is set to be included in the Michelin Guide —the only South Korean destination other than the capital to be featured. The ocean’s bounty is the name of the game in this coastal hub, but local gastronomy isn’t limited to hoe (sashimi), nakji bokkeum (stirfried octopus) and jogae gui (grilled clams). The place is packed with diverse dining choices, from sleek restaurants…

1 PICARDY PLACE Start at the tram stop at Picardy Place, a recently remodelled plaza atop Leith Walk. Look out for the statue of Sherlock Holmes, marking the birthplace of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the fictional detective’s adventures. If it’s a clear day, walk to Calton Hill for a view of the route down to Leith and the Firth of Forth, as well as city highlights including Arthur’s Seat, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Edinburgh Castle. edinburghtrams.com 2 BALFOUR STREET Take the tram to Balfour Street, then stroll over to Easter Road, drily nicknamed ‘Feaster Road’ due to its recent rebirth as a culinary hotspot. Breakfast options abound: grab coffee from Foodstory and a sweet bite at Écosse Éclair or vegan cafe Plant Bae. Edinburgh Honey Co’s whisky-infused…

A confluence of multicultural neighbourhoods, belle époque avenues and functional high-rises, Bucharest wears its past on its sleeve. While the Ceauşescu regime sought to erase all traces of the city’s history in the early 1980s, today, the Romanian capital overflows with character —its gritty exterior concealing a wealth of cosy bars, galleries and bookshops. Begin with a walk along Bulevardul Primăverii in the north of the city. Among the many grand houses occupying this leafy, secluded street, look out for the decadent Casa Ceaușescu —the one-time family residence of Romania’s communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, who ruled from 1965 to 1989. Its gilded interiors can be explored on a guided tour. A five-minute stroll away is the Museum of Recent Art, a multi-floor gallery dedicated to championing contemporary Romanian artists. A…

1 YETI RAMBLER 1.9L JUG Coffee is a stargazing essential, as much about keeping you warm as it is about keeping you awake. This stainless steel jug from Yeti can be counted on to keep yours hot for hours, with double-wall insulation and a thick lid for heat retention. It’s available in two sizes — 1.9L and 3.8L —and comes in almost all the colours of the rainbow. £100. uk.yeti.com 2 PHILIP’S PLANISPHERE Is that the Big Dipper or the Little Dipper? Banish all confusion with this moveable disc map of the night sky, which can show your exact place in the universe no matter the time of year, thanks to a dial adjustable to the date and time. To go deeper, pair it with Philip’s Stargazing 2024, a guide…

Hands clasped firmly behind his back, with the beady vigilance of a parade-ground sergeant major, Alessandro Ferrarini strides among his massed ranks of cheese. Several thousand recruits are lined up. Evenly spaced and immaculately presented, they stand on rows of shelves reaching almost to the ceiling. Alessandro —the fleece beneath his waxy, army-green lab coat zipped up to the neck against the carefully calibrated cold —is here to sniff out imperfection. He spots a suspect, wrestles it expertly down from the shelf onto a wooden stool and sets about it with a hammer. A very small hammer. “You’re listening for a higher pitch,” he says, tapping delicately at the base of the 45kg wheel and squinting as he gauges the reverberations. “That would betray a crack, a void. Weakness.” The…

THE EXPERTS Oliver Smith Travel writer Jarrod Kyte Product and impact director, Steppes Travel Peter Grunert Editor, Lonely Planet’s Electric Vehicle Road Trips: Europe Rob Stewart Founder of Ski Press and co-host of The White Out Podcast Dr Dipti Patel Director, National Travel Health Network & Centre I love desert scenery — where can I go for inspirational views? The romantic landscape of infinite sand dunes isn’t quite as common (or as accessible) as you might think. Morocco has two such regions of Saharan sand, and the UAE has some nooks in its far south. But, if it’s vast, storybook deserts you’re craving, the best option is Oman. The most popular desert there is Wahiba Sands, a 4,800sq-mile expanse of dunes just a two-hour drive from the capital Muscat. There’s…

UNUSUAL ACTIVITIES 1 SNOWSHOE IN ROMANIA There’s no better time to sink your teeth into Transylvania than winter. One of Europe’s wildest corners becomes a smidgen wilder in the colder months: meadows are buried under drifts, bears snooze in woodland burrows, church towers and castle battlements are strung with icicles. Exodus offers a winter hiking tour of the Romanian region, using either boots or snowshoes, depending on the depth of snow. Participants poke their noses into bat caves, look for wolf prints on mountain plateaus and stop in traditional villages and farms to taste plum brandy. The tour ends with a visit to Bran Castle, traditionally, if not accurately, known as the home of Dracula. Eight days from £1,299 per person. exodus.co.uk 2 SPOT WILDLIFE IN SCOTLAND Mull is among…

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT TICKETS JUST £10 UNTIL 31 JANUARY SIX REASONS TO JOIN US 1 Catch top chefs cooking live Visit the Main Stage to watch the likes of Nadiya Hussain, Richard Corrigan and Ravneet Gill as they showcase their favourite flavours. 2 Discover the world’s wines The Wine & Spirits Theatre is back — and it’s bigger than ever. Sample tipples from across the globe with our selection of guided tastings. 3 Pick up recipe inspiration Expand your culinary repertoire in our two Masterclass Theatres, where guest chefs will teach you how to prepare an array of regional specialities. 4 Join the conversation Sit down with leading food writers in Speakers’ Corner as they explore the inspiration behind their latest cookbooks. 5 Grab a bite in the food hall…

Editorial Director: Maria Pieri Editor: Pat Riddell Managing Editor: Amelia Duggan Deputy Editor: Amanda Canning Commissioning Editors: Lorna Parkes, Georgia Stephens Assistant Editors: Sam Kemp, Angela Locatelli Senior Editor: Sarah Barrell Executive Editor: Glen Mutel Associate Editor: Nicola Trup Content Strategist: Berkok Yüksel Deputy Digital Editor: Karlina Valeiko Art Director: Becky Redman Deputy Art Director: Lauren Atkinson-Smith Art Editor: Lauren Gamp Senior Designers: Kelly McKenna, Dean Reynolds Designer: Rosie Klein Junior Designer: Natalie Cornelius Picture Editor: Ben Rowe Picture Researcher: Aisha Nazar Branded Content Manager: Flora Neighbour Deputy Branded Content Manager: Megan Hughes Senior Editor, Branded Content: Sara Crossley Project Editors: Zane Henry, Emma Monk, Farida Zeynalova Assistant Project Editor: Sacha Scoging Head of Sub Editors: Olivia McLearon Senior Sub Editor: Hannah Doherty Sub Editors: Rory Goulding, Chris Horton, Ben…

Historically, when nomadic First Nations tribes in Canada’s Great Plains arrived at a new site, a group of 30 to 50 people would perform an energetic dance to flatten the tall prairie grasses ready for the camp. Today, the tradition is kept alive by grass dancers like Bluejay and Edouard, cousins from the Thunderchild First Nation, who I spotted as I walked to a conference in Saskatoon, the largest city in Saskatchewan. I was so drawn to their vibrant outfits, I simply had to photograph them, so I ran back to my hotel to grab my camera. I missed the opening session, but it was worth it. bellafalk.co.uk @passportandpixels…

In a region known for exhuberant celebrations, expectations are high for the Caribbean island of Grenada in 2024, when it will mark 50 years of independence from Britain on 7 February. Amid the fireworks, parades and costumes at the golden jubilee, the historic capital of St George’s and its harbourfront Carenage promenade will become a stage for the country’s homegrown music and dance styles —the official logo for the celebrations includes a traditional belair (or bèlè) dancer in a billowing skirt. The runup will also see a competition to find Grenada’s calypso monarch, with participants judged on their singing and songwriting. grenadaturns50.gd Beyond the big day itself, the festive spirit is expected to linger throughout the year, and there’s plenty more on the island to keep travellers occupied. Grenada is…

Hotel AX Finland’s biggest city is also its most stylish. Once the home of influential local architect and designer Alvar Aalto, the capital’s art nouveau core is today complemented by contemporary Nordic architecture and offbeat design hits, including clothing and home furnishings company Marimekko’s flagship store and the subterranean Amos Rex Art Museum. Adding another dimension to the city is the harbour district of Jätkäsaari, a former backwater that’s reinvented itself in the past two decades with sleek apartment blocks anchored by restaurants, cafes, shops and a new public sauna. In spring 2022, this maritime hub welcomed Hotel AX, an art-focused property with an entrance marked by a fantastical metal sculpture titled Orc, setting the tone for the offbeat interiors that lie within. The hotel is the brainchild of Finnish…

|HISTORY| See Spain’s fabled Alhambra as few have ever before This remarkable fortress is considered the crowning glory of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula. We were given behindthe-scenes access to its darkest recesses. natgeo.com/history |SCIENCE| How Covid attacks your heart Scientists have found Covid-19 can trigger serious cardiovascular problems, especially among older people who have a buildup of fatty material in their blood vessels. A new study has revealed why. natgeo.com/science |ENVIRONMENT| Hurricanes are escalating more quickly than ever. Here’s why Rapidly intensifying weather patterns are significantly more common than they were 40 years ago and they’re still hard to predict early enough to prepare. natgeo.com/environment…

Malaysia’s island region of Sarawak is a treasure trove of relics and rarities. Take a stroll down Carpenter Street in Sarawak’s capital city of Kuching and you’ll see stalls selling wood carvings, colourful beadwork, blankets and the woven mats that line the f loor of traditional tribal longhouses. Nearby, at the waterfront, a bazaar of handicraft booths in the historic Steamship Building sells jewellery, paintings and scarves created by some of the country’s leading artisans. They’re guardians of Sarawak’s heritage, preserving skills that date back thousands of years and that might otherwise be lost in the rush to embrace 21st-century technology. THE POTTER NABILAH ABDULLAH Nabilah Abdullah has been sculpting with clay for nearly 20 years, from one of a dozen workshops in the Sarawak Ceramic Centre, just to the…

Get in touch inbox@natgeotraveller.co.uk Have a query about subscriptions? Get in touch at natgeotraveller@ subscription.co.uk or call 01858 438787 WIN Since 2020, RZE has been crafting scratch-resistant titanium tool watches, capable of withstanding some of the toughest conditions out there. Lightweight, comfortable and equipped with 660ft of water resistance, the Endeavour is the perfect companion for your adventures in nature. rzewatches.com STAR LETTER More than Manhattan We really enjoyed your ‘Only in New York’ feature (cover story, November 2023). Having visited NYC several years ago now, it was great to discover there’s more to the city than Manhattan. The articles have inspired us to get back soon, revisit our favourite spots and head to some new places. Camping on Governors Island would definitely be on our to-do list and now…

Think of Argentina and the likes of football, tango, steak and wine might instinctively come to mind. Dig a little deeper and perhaps you’ll realise you’re actually a little more familiar with the eighth-largest country in the world than you first thought. There’s the dynamic capital, Buenos Aires; Patagonia, its vast expanse crossing the Andes and into Chile; and the breathtaking Iguazú Falls, which share a border with Brazil. You might even think of Ushuaia, the gateway to Antarctica, at the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego. But this is a country that’s difficult to summarise. Maybe that’s down to its vast size and the sheer variety of its landscapes and climates. From its spectacular open spaces, rugged Atlantic coastline and lively cities to its myriad cultures, out-of-this-world glaciers and…

Filipino cuisine is dominated by the bold balance of three elements of taste: salty, sour and sweet. These flavours stem from a medley of cultural, historical and environmental influences that have shaped Filipino culinary traditions for centuries. Salt is used both to highlight other flavours, but also as a standalone taste. Filipino soy sauce is extra salty, while snacks like chicharron (fried pork belly) and puffed fish crackers are loaded with it. Bowls of sawsawan (Filipino soy dressing) and dishes of bagoong (a condiment of fermented fish, krill or shrimp paste) are both used as table seasonings. Salt’s also an important part of native Filipino heritage. In the Bohol region, they make a salt called asín tibuok, which is sharp, earthy and smoky. Meanwhile, jolting acidity isn’t only acceptable in…

Hotel Kitsch Based on the social media account A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour, this book celebrates the romance of themed hotels and retro getaways. Its gallery of Champagne pools, heart-shaped tubs, Jetsons-style motel suites and clamshell beds is accompanied by text that delves into the backstories, birthplaces and quirky histories of the world’s off-beat travel spots. Artisan, £30 Garden: Exploring the horticultural world Take an illustrated journey across the globe and discover how gardens and horticulture have shaped history, from the Garden of Eden to the humble vegetable plot. Our love of manicured green spaces is explored via works by a diverse range of artists, encompassing paintings, illustrations, sculptures and more. Phaidon, £44.95 Byron Bay This is a love letter to the sun-soaked, rainforest-backed bay on Australia’s New South Wales…

The memories of my first encounter with the California desert are so clear and intense that sometimes I wonder if I invented them, but I don’t believe so. I was hitchhiking across the States —it was the 1970s —and I was a young Englishman ‘on the road’, having read too much Jack Kerouac. My lift dropped me at a gas station near Barstow, a city in the Mojave Desert, in the south of the state. The car was air-conditioned and as I got out, I was hit by a wall of heat as strange and thrilling as anything I’d ever experienced. I was wearing a cotton T-shirt, and I went into the petrol station’s bathroom to drench it in water, then went out looking for a place to hitch. By…

To drive south of Dublin and cross into County Wicklow is to be confronted, almost immediately, with some of the most soaring, timeless scenery the Emerald Isle has to offer. This is the ‘Garden of Ireland’: a forested realm of steep, glacial valleys that climb dramatically to the stark uplands of the Wicklow Mountains. Its beauty has made it a site of pilgrimage since ancient times —between the sixth and 12th centuries, the valley of Glendalough was home to one of the most powerful and learned monasteries in all Christendom. Today, walkers flock to Wicklow to tackle sections, if not all, of the Wicklow Way, an 82-mile trail that snakes through the county’s centre. Along the way, it offers detours to spectacular aristocratic country piles like Powerscourt House & Gardens…

Known as Switzerland’s ‘City of Lights’, Lucerne shines brighter than ever in winter. Sat on the shores of a crystalclear lake and surrounded by snowdusted mountains, the dreamy pastelcoloured landscapes of Lucerne in winter once served as inspiration for English Romantic painter JMW Turner. Enjoy the crisp Alpine air in the medieval old town, spot Picasso originals at the city’s galleries and dip into an exciting food scene that ranges from fondue to fine dining. WHAT TO SEE Whether seen at sunrise or in the shadow of dusk’s moody blues, Lucerne’s 14th-century Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge) is its biggest medieval attraction. Its frescoed panels depict Swiss history and mythology and alpine swifts roost in its octagonal water tower. From here, ramble up to the city’s historic ramparts, where the 2,600ft-long Musegg…

To walk across New Zealand is to experience some of the greatest landscapes in the world. From moss-carpeted forests to sun-drenched mountaintops with impossibly far-reaching views, the country is blessed with an almost unfair share of natural beauty, thanks to the volcanoes, glaciers and rivers that have helped carve out its environs over millions of years. Since the first Māori inhabitants arrived in around 1250, wandering feet have etched a spiderweb of trails up and down the country. There are thousands of walking tracks to choose from —short and long, boardwalked and gravelled, coastal and alpine —but just 11 have so far been officially designated a Great Walk. Each of these multiday tracks carries hikers through a unique landscape, but what unifies them is their relative ease and approachability. Trails…

“Trust the grip,” my canyoning guide, Filipe Ferreira from Madeira Adventure Kingdom, tells me, more than once. Still, I step slowly. Rushing freshwater sluices past my extragrippy boots and over smooth boulders, before plunging over a 40ft drop, which I’m expected to rappel down. I look back up the canyon in the direction we came from, but there’s no turning back. “It’s not like football, where you can decide you don’t want to play anymore,” Filipe had explained on the short ride from Madeira’s capital Funchal to the Ribeira das Cales trail in the Funchal Ecological Park. “Once you start, you must continue.” A verdant, mountainous Portuguese archipelago with a year-round temperate climate, Madeira is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. Canyoning is possible in any season and most trails are easy…