Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2024 i National Geographic Traveller (UK)

Exploring the city and the region of Murcia, I came across an enchanting blend of medieval history, rugged hills and crystalline blue waters. The wine, gastronomy and vibrant festivals make this underrated gem even more spectacular. MURCIA P.46 With all of its greyness, traffic and grit, Bogotá is one of those cities that you might not fall in love with right away. Then, suddenly, a splash of colourful graffiti here and a local cocktail there, and you start to see the city in a new light. BOGOTÁ P. 52 I’m a regular visitor to the Scottish Highlands — striding up munros on hiking trips, riding railway lines through heathery glens. This winter I combined the two — taking three days to walk the gap between two of Scotland’s greatest railway…

KATI ROLL A fresh paratha flatbread fried on one side and filled with charred chicken and sliced onions. It’s drizzled with tomato sauce, chilli sauce and a dash of lime, rolled up and served hot. SHORSHE MAACH White fish fried with turmeric and salt, then simmered in a paste of mustard seeds and chillies. Served with steamed white rice, it’s a common dish in most households and restaurants. PUCHKA Also known as panipuri, this beloved street snack is a thin, crispy puffed sphere filled with spiced potato and tangy tamarind water. A puchkawala makes these fresh, one by one, and they should be eaten whole. Essential ingredient Kasundi sauce was originally served with steamed rice and green chillies to start a meal, but now it’s an integral part of Bengali…

CAVEAU DE SAULX This wine bar near Place de la République hosts blind tastings and also pairs wines with food, all in an atmospheric 16th-century cellar. Old vintages are the bar’s speciality. lecaveaudesaulx.fr BRUNO Bruno has one of the best and most eclectic cellars in the city. It has a very French, local ambience — to meet owner Bruno Crouzat-Reynes is to meet one of Dijon’s true characters. zelift.com/bruno LA CAVE SE REBIFFE This tiny wine bar has bottles from Burgundy and beyond and serves small bites such as charcuterie and cheese, along with cocktails. instagram.com/ lacaveserebiffe21…

Where does your passion for adventure come from? I owe it to my grandfather, Captain Rick Taylor. He served in the British Army for 38 years, but it was his battle against dementia [an umbrella term associated with diseases that affect brain function, including Alzheimer’s] that ended his life. He dreamed of taking on Mount Kilimanjaro, and after finishing school, I decided to go out there in his honour. I climbed for him and Alzheimer’s Research UK, which is a charity I’ve supported ever since, but I also returned home with something for myself —a love for adventure. You ran seven marathons, one on each continent, to raise awareness of dementia — a challenge you completed in December 2023. Where did the project take you? To many of the most…

|ANIMALS| This rare monkey species has found an oasis in the big city Typically an ‘urban avoider’, the critically endangered red-shanked douc hides on the isolated ‘Monkey Mountain’ of Vietnam’s Da Nang, a city of 1.2 million people. natgeo.com/animals |HISTORY| Here’s what inspired this 16thcentury map of sea monsters At a time when the mortality rate for long maritime voyages was 50%, the Bible, legend and lore gave birth to a sea full of extraordinary creatures. natgeo.com/history |SCIENCE| Is there a ninth planet out there? Starting in 2025, the Vera C Rubin Observatory — currently under construction in Chile — will be hoping to spot new comets, asteroids and perhaps even our Solar System’s Planet Nine. natgeo.com/science…

Morning Wander through the narrow alleyways of Murcia’s old town, towards the magnificent Catedral de Murcia, which has the second-tallest bell tower in Spain. Audio guides can be hired for a history lesson on the church’s eclectic blend of baroque, Renaissance and gothic architecture. Exit through the ‘Door of the Apostles’, carved with angels and kings from the Old Testament, to reach Calle Traperia. A hub for fabric merchants and silversmiths in the 14th century, it’s now peppered with boutique shops. From here, it’s an easy walk to the city’s 19th-century Romea Theatre. Legend has it that a friar cursed the building, as it stands on the site of a former convent. catedralmurcia.org Afternoon The region is nicknamed the ‘Garden of Europe’ due to its fertile soil and extensive farmlands…

Hormigas Islands Protected since 1995, this marine reserve bordering the Cabo de Palos peninsula is considered one of the best diving destinations in Spain, if not Europe. The marine life includes octopus, moray eels, eagle rays and, occasionally, sunfish. Posidonia seagrass meadows, gardens of corals and underwater rock pinnacles make dives all the richer, and it’s also common to see huge bait balls, which attract larger predators such as barracuda and tuna. Deep drop-offs can plummet to around 230ft and the waters also harbour shipwrecks such as El Naranjito — a cargo ship that sank in the 1940s. Trips can be booked with dive operators such as Adventure Divers, which also offers snorkelling, paddleboarding and jet skiing. adventurediversspain.com Town-hopping In the far west of Costa Cálida, visit Águilas, where the…

PANELA Colombians each consume an average of 30kgs of this unrefined whole cane sugar a year —often infused with water and lime juice in the form of agua de panela. CURUBA Also known as the banana passionfruit, curuba is a fragrant but tart fruit, typically consumed as a smoothie with milk and sugar, or infused in a mousse. EMPANADITAS DE PIPIÁN These small, fried pastry parcels containing potatoes and ground peanuts get their reddish hue from peppery achiote seeds. COFFEE Colombian producers Libertario Coffee Roasters, Azahar Coffee and Devoción Coffee use top-quality beans from the Eje Cafetero coffeegrowing region, west of Bogotá. VICHE Popular on the Pacific coast, this sugarcane spirit is fast becoming Colombia’s answer to mezcal, with dozens of artisan brands emerging.…

STELLENBOSCH South Africa’s most famous wine region is based around the historic town of the same name. It has more than 150 wineries surrounded by rippling mountain ranges, with Cabernet Sauvignon the most planted grape variety. It’s only 40 minutes from Cape Town, so easy to do in a day with a designated driver or guide. wineroute.co.za FRANSCHHOEK The neighbouring wine valley to Stellenbosch is equally popular. It’s smaller, with about 45 wineries open to visitation, and known for Cap Classique sparkling wine. The hop-on, hop-off Wine Tram trundles between wineries on fives lines, each with seven or eight stops. The little town itself is a great place to eat, home to some of the country’s best fine-dining restaurants. winetram.co.za CONSTANTIA This wine valley is home to 10 farms and…

In numbers 4,645 MILES The total length of the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) network, the second-longest national highway in the world after Australia’s Highway 1 9 The number of Canadian provinces crossed by the highway’s main route as it runs from Victoria, British Columbia to St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador 1962 The year the highway was officially opened following over a decade of work, though some sections remained uncompleted until 1971 1,627M The altitude of the highway’s highest point, the mile-high Kicking Horse Pass in the Canadian Rockies 8 MILES The length of Confederation Bridge, the world’s longest bridge over ice-covered waters, which carries part of the TCH from Prince Edward Island to the mainland 44 The number of wildlife corridors, including both bridges and overpasses, constructed to allow animals to…

1974 The year Druk Yul (‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’), as the nation is known locally, first allowed visitors inside its borders, changing a policy that had aimed to protect its culture THERE ARE NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS IN BHUTAN, WHICH HAS A POPULATION OF UNDER 800,000, AS THEY WERE DEEMED UNNECESSARY AND IMPERSONAL COMPARED TO POLICE OFFICERS SUSTAINABILITY IN NUMBERS 131 The number of tigers living within Bhutan’s THE borders, up 27% since 2015 — when tracking began — due to habitat destruction in neighbouring India and China 60% PROPORTION OF BHUTAN THAT MUST REMAIN COVERED IN FOREST, AS MANDATED BY LAW; IT’S CURRENTLY AROUND 70% The 250-mile Trans-Bhutan Trail runs east to west through the centre of the country, linking dzongs (fortified monasteries) and mountain valleys. It was restored…

Tell us about this image. This is Matahi Drollet, a 25-year-old Tahitian surfer riding one of the world’s scariest waves, Tahiti’s Teahupo’o. Widely regarded as one of the best surfers in the area, he’s the same age as my son, and is the little brother of my good friend Manoa Drollet, who I spearfish with. Matahi is the same shy and humble person he was as a 10-year-old. It’s been amazing to watch him grow into the man he is today. How did you achieve the shot? It was one of those moments when the conditions magically come together. I usually shoot early in the morning because the light is good and the wind often offshore, blowing the waves hollow and photogenic. On this occasion, however, it was the very…

ISSUE 120, MARCH 2024 The name ‘Rainbow Nation’ speaks to the rich diversity of South Africa’s people, but the country’s range of experiences is also vast and varied — with a few surprises thrown in. This issue, we turn our attention to one of the world’s most alluring destinations. While many people come to South Africa to see the Big Five on safari, the country’s wealth of wildlife extends far beyond the savannah, ranging from humpback and southern right whales, great white sharks and dolphins to loggerhead and leatherback turtles, baboons and a vast array of native birds. A road trip along the coastal Garden Route reveals dramatic landscapes that offer up the chance to indulge in the adrenaline rush of zip-wires and bungee jumps. Hiking through the Drakensburg Mountains…

It’s 150 years since 30 young painters in Paris broke from artistic convention to set up an independent showcase. Their work captured shifting light and colour —a departure from the style of the time, which favoured accurate depictions. Critics were derisive and the public indifferent, but the group —which counted artists such as Monet, Renoir and Degas among its ranks —held what is now seen as the first impressionist exhibition. Normandy’s coastline and countryside inspired some of the most recognisable impressionist works, and fans can mark this year’s anniversary at the Normandy Impressionist Festival —a quadrennial event returning for its fifth edition between March and September. Around 150 celebratory events are taking place across the region, from public installations to guided tours. Highlights include a Whistler retrospective at the Rouen…

There’s a Bengali expression, ‘ami machh bhat Bangali’, which means ‘I’m a typical Bengali who eats fish and rice’. Located in the Ganges River Delta, Bengal, a historical region between modernday Bangladesh and India, is perfectly suited to rice cultivation. As for the ‘fishy’ element, fishing was a primary activity here, and in the northeast Indian state of West Bengal, fish is said to represent prosperity. Various cultures have left an imprint on the cuisine of Bengal. The Nawab and Mughal dynasties introduced marinated meat, as well as the use of saffron and ghee. These flavours found their way into dishes such as biryani, korma and Kolkata’s renowned street foods, including kati rolls —flatbreads wrapped around various fillings and chutneys. They also introduced milk, cardamom and sugar to their desserts,…

Kuranda Getting to the arts and crafts hub of Kuranda, a mountain town surrounded by rainforest, is half the fun for families. Departing from Cairns, the 4.7-mile Skyrail cable car skims over the tropical canopy of the oldest rainforest on the planet, with opportunities to spy tree kangaroos, and spectacular views of the mountains and ocean. Kuranda itself has heritage markets, walking trails and a butterfly sanctuary to explore. For the return journey to Cairns, board the Kuranda Scenic Railway. Built in the late 19th century, the train winds its way back down to sea level through the forest, passing waterfalls and gorges. skyrail.com.au ksr.com.au tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au Great Barrier Reef The laid-back town of Port Douglas —an hour’s drive north of Cairns along the coastal highway —is a good jumping-off point…

Wedged between the popular coastal destinations of Málaga and Alicante, the region of Murcia occupies a stretch of southern Spain too often neglected by international travellers. Sea coves and quiet beaches characterise its 155 miles of sunny coastline, beyond which lie hills, farmlands, dense forests and valleys perfect for hiking. Reliably balmy year-round temperatures make the province a good option for off-season travel —yet even at the height of summer, you’re unlikely to see the crowds so often found in other Mediterranean regions. Murcia has witnessed a varied history —the Romans, Carthaginians and Moors have all left a legacy, which is evident in the area’s architecture, agriculture and festivities. Gateway to this region is the city of the same name —Murcia, a provincial capital with regular flights from the UK…

CALDERO The Murcian version of paella is a rich, flavourful pot of rice and fish traditionally served with garlicky alioli. Caldero means cauldron in Spanish and it was a fisherman’s staple in the 19th century, ordinarily cooked by the sea over an open fire. The dish is typical to the Mar Menor region, using Calasparra rice, local peppers called ñoras and rock fish such as lubina or European sea bass. MARINERA MURCIANA A unique Spanish tapa originating from Murcia, combining chopped canned tuna with eggs and potatoes. The dish is served on a crusty savoury doughnut, with salty anchovies as an optional topping. In warm weather, pair this finger food with a local tinto de verano — red wine summer spritz. CAFÉ ASIATICO Made with Licor 43 vanilla liqueur, brandy,…

Chef Mario Rosero is standing beside a wood-fired grill at the back of Prudencia, the restaurant he owns in La Candelaria, Bogotá’s cobblestoned old town. The grill has three circular grates that can be adjusted to different positions. Small pieces of pork are sizzling on the one directly above the flames; a cast iron pot filled with corn is cooking less fiercely on another, higher up. Perfecting this clever, compact set-up is what Mario —a Culinary Institute of America graduate born in the Colombian city of Pasto and raised in Los Angeles —has been up to since the pandemic. Rather than completely pivoting to takeaway, like so many restaurants, Mario and his staff started making and selling grills like these, plus home-made briquettes of binchotan, a slow-burning, smokeless charcoal. Since…

£ THE FLEMING Illuminating an innocuous Wan Chai tower block on Hong Kong Island, the old-school neon ‘The Fleming’ sign running vertically down several floors of the building is the first sign that this is a hotel with retro sensibilities. Head inside you’ll see that promise delivered handsomely with interiors inspired by Hong Kong’s fabled Star Ferry. Look out for porthole-shaped mirrors and Star Ferry-style seating, all complemented by an aesthetic that emphasises classic materials like smoked-oak flooring and brass lighting. It’s a charming take on the old-new character of the city, and the hotel provides easy access to another local institution: the brilliantly boisterous Cantonese restaurant Tung Po Kitchen is on the same street. ROOMS: From HK$1,400 (£145). thefleming.com…

THE SARDINE RUN You don’t need wildebeest for a great migration. The annual movement of billions of sardines up the country’s east coast, South Africa’s sardine run is among the planet’s most impressive natural events. Swimming north towards the warmer waters off KwaZulu-Natal, the huge school of fish draws predators in numbers. Pods of dolphins twist hungrily among the sardines, grabbing what they can; squadrons of Cape gannets dive-bomb into the action from the skies; sharks and whales swim open-jawed through the shoals. The migration usually takes place between early June and late July, and numerous operators can take you out on the water for a chance to witness the spectacle first-hand. offshoreportstjohns.com prodivesardinerun.co.za TURTLES AT SODWANA BAY It’s a cycle that dates back to prehistory. Between November and January…

It’s 6am in the morning. I’m crammed into the back of a Toyota, rattling up a truly terrible unsealed road in blanket mist, about to begin one of the greatest walks of my life. The next few hours will also serve up mud, two chain ladders and, at times, a view that extends no further than the end of my arm. But in the Drakensberg mountains, special things lie in wait. I’ve come on a hiking trip to the largest mountain range in South Africa, which can be found around four hours south of Johannesburg. It’s a grassy massif full of grand, muscular contours, almost 940sq miles of which are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ancient rock art decorates its caves, baboons caper in its valleys and footpaths…

Where do you like to relax away from Maboneng? I go to the Goodman Gallery, which is fantastic for contemporary South African art. I’m also a big fan of The Bioscope, a single-screen independent cinema in the north of the city. It has less than 50 seats but it’s a really cool space. And outside of the city? I love the Eastern Cape, particularly around Coffee Bay. It’s a different world out there. The coastline hiking is amazing. It gives me a sense of clarity and serenity. Which other South African art spaces would you recommend? I spend a lot of time in Cape Town. Chimurenga Factory is a great pan-African bookstore with events, and Zeitz MOCAA is a really well-curated contemporary art museum.…

Canada is one of the rare places on Earth where wide, well-maintained roads carve their way through remote, uncompromised wilderness. Behind the wheel of a car, you can skirt the icy feet of glaciers, wind through forests populated by foraging megafauna, climb Rocky Mountain slopes and explore storm-sculpted coastlines, where ocean waves are plied by migrating cetaceans. Adventurous travellers can even explore the all-season Dempster Highway, which runs from boreal wilderness north through the Arctic Circle and on to the stark polar coastline. It’s for this reason that road trips are not to be rushed in Canada, a country that’s home to the second-longest national highway in the world. Scenic A-to-B drives are a thrill in themselves, but the joy of making it this far into the wilds is allowing…

Modern Japan wouldn’t be what it is today without the influence and input of the region of Kansai — and its cities Osaka and Kyoto — which have signficantly influenced the country’s political, cultural and economic development. Kyoto served as Japan’s capital for over a millennium and is today known as the nation’s cultural epicentre, attracting millions of travellers to the city’s streets each year. Beyond Kyoto, visitors will see there is a profound respect for tradition throughout the region found in the theatre, religion, art and cuisine. From classical masked Noh performances to ancient Shinto shrines believed to be the home of local kami (spirits or deities) to traditional kaiseki banquets — there are myriad experiences and the region reveals new depths with every visit. 1 MIE PREFECTURE DINE…

SNAPSHOT Maria Kampouraki, Chania, Crete On the quieter edge of Chania’s old Venetian harbour, among the fishing boats and tavernas, I spotted Maria Kampouraki selling sea sponges from the back of a boat. The warmth and contentment she exuded —her textured wares set against the backdrop of that blue Aegean sea —prompted me to ask for a photo. I snapped two quick shots, purchased a few sponges for myself and then left to go sailing with a friend. For months after, every time I used one of those sponges, I was reminded of the Greek sea and sunshine, of hillsides covered in wild herbs and olive groves stretching far off into the distance. kassieborreson.com @kassieborreson…

Bedouin feasts, visual theatre and electronic music will come together for a festival in the desert canyons of Wadi Rum and the rock city of Petra this spring, allowing travellers to see two of Jordan’s most-visited attractions in a completely new light. While much is still under wraps, we can expect something unique from organiser Tithorea, which has created other location-immersive festivals including Costa Rica’s Labryinto (28-31 December) in the jungles of Guanacaste and Echoes from Agartha (26-31 July), amid the ‘fairy chimneys’ of Turkey’s Cappadocia region. Jordan’s Medaina festival will run 22 to 27 May and is set to become an annual event. The first two days will be based at Petra, providing time to absorb the history of this ancient Nabatean caravan city’s tombs and temples. Party-goers will…

1 THE RYM AN AUDITORIUM Begin at this rock ’n’ roll landmark, a concert hall and the original home of the Grand Ole Opry —America’s longest-running radio show, founded in 1925, which brought country music into US homes, saw the birth of bluegrass and launched countless country stars. Opt for the selfguided tour to take in the exhibits at your own pace or sign up for the guided backstage tour; better yet, come back in the evening to attend a live show. ryman.com 2 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC Opened in 2021, this one-of-akind museum across the road from the Ryman took two decades to complete and covers music that was 400 years in the making. It celebrates African Americans’ contribution to the musical landscape in six galleries, curated…

There are many reasons to visit the capital of France’s Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region —not least its setting amid the Burgundy vineyards, its gastronomic legacy and its wealth of history and art. Once part of the Roman Empire and capital of the Duchy of Burgundy from the 10th to 15th century, Dijon has a pedestrianised, UNESCOlisted historic heart with many medieval townhouses, Renaissance-style mansions and romanesque and gothic landmarks. Several of its museums have started offering free entry in recent years, while contemporary art has been integrated into outdoor public areas. In 2022, the opening of Dijon’s Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin —a wine education, retail and leisure complex —also brought new energy to the city. Several centuries of the city’s past are represented across the Palace of the…

1Local: A Search for Nearby Nature and Wilderness Alastair Humphreys spent a year examining every square metre of a 12-mile radius around his home in suburban England. Humphreys is a former National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and his latest book is a celebration of slowing down and discovering a wild, wonderful world on your doorstep. It’s also a rallying cry to revitalise Britain’s natural spaces and reclaim our right to roam in them. Eye Books, £12.99 2Taking the Risk: My Adventures in Travel and Publishing Hilary Bradt’s eponymous guidebook company championed slow and lowimpact travel long before the concepts were widespread. The publisher celebrates its 50th anniversary this year; over the half century, it’s produced guidebooks to the remotest parts of the planet. Bradt’s memoir looks back at a…

We’ve all been on some extreme trips. But how many of us can claim to have travelled to the very edge of the world? I can… sort of. Allow me to explain. I made several trips for my latest book The Conspiracy Tourist, but the strangest was undoubtedly to the island of Fogo, off Canada’s Newfoundland coast. I was looking into flat Earth theory: the idea that the Earth is a flat, round disk, surrounded by an ice wall. When I dived deeper, I discovered a splinter group of people who not only believe that the Earth is flat, but that it’s square. Logically, in their eyes, this means that there are four corners: Hydra in Greece, Papua New Guinea, the Bermuda Triangle and Fogo Island. So, this was why…

SIERRA ESPUÑA This enchanting woodland region, home to nearly 500 species of butterfly, was once a barren land, but has been reforested over the past century. Follow the trail leading up to Morrón de Alhama, surviving a few jawdropping steep climbs, to be rewarded with sweeping views of the countryside amid elm and pine trees. CASTILLO DE JUMILLA Panoramic views of the vineyards in Jumilla, one of the region’s top wineproducing towns, unfold the higher you climb on the trail leading up to this ancient castle. It’s an ideal introduction to the winemaking landscape ahead of a day of cellar tastings in Murcia’s Jumilla area. CABO DE PALOS LIGHTHOUSE Take in some of the finest views of the Mediterranean Sea and Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon at Mar Menor from this…

Morning Drive west about 30 minutes to explore the pilgrimage town of Caravaca de la Cruz, home to the Caravaca Cross. This double crucifix, flanked by two angels, is believed to possess healing powers. The symbol appears all over town, from the city’s coat of arms to signposts, but make sure you drop by the Basilica of Vera Cruz de Caravaca to see the original. A few metres away lies Calle Cuesta Castillo, a cobbled street famous for its annual Los Caballos del Vino horse race — a local tradition that can be traced to the time when the town was ruled by Moors. Learn more about it at the Museo Caballos del Vino, which displays the dazzling embroidered cloaks worn by the horses during the celebration. museocaballosdelvino.com Afternoon Make…

MINI -MAL Supporting artisan producers from around Colombia, this Chapinero Alto restaurant acts as a showroom for ingredients such as corn from Zenú producers in northern Montes de María, trout from fishermen on Laguna de la Cocha, in the west, and Amazonian tucupi (fermented yuca). Dishes from around COP35 (£7). mini-mal.org REY GUERRERO Colombia’s Pacific-coast cuisine, with its strong Afro-Colombian and Indigenous heritage, is rarely found inland. But for over a decade, chef Rey Guerrero has been championing it in the form of dishes like ceviche with piangua mussels, arroz tumbacatre (rice with shellfish) and the sweet-sour juice of the borojó fruit. Mains from US$36 (£28). reyguerrero.co AÇAÍ Andrews Arrieta, the chef at this lunch-only spot, uses ingredients from the Amazon, including ants that taste like lemongrass, plump mojojoy (palm…

As she drives along the dirt road to Swerwer Wines —passing whitewashed farmhouses amid rows of grape vines, silvery mist hanging in the foothills of the mountains beyond —Prisca Llagostera talks about the community that makes the Swartland wine region in the Western Cape so special. “Everybody here is best friends, even though they’re competitors,” she says. “It’s something that made me fall in love with the area.” The southern edge of the Swartland, an area of wheat fields, olive groves and vineyards, is about an hour north of Cape Town. It makes excellent wines, particularly Chenin Blancs and red Rhône varietals, and it’s far less visited than places such as Stellenbosch, South Africa’s most famous wine region. Stellenbosch has more than 150 wineries and some of its vines were…

FOR SCENERY Tugela Gorge This 8.7-mile walk leads to the foot of Tugela Falls and back from the head of the gorge, with cliff scenery and some scrambling. FOR A CHALLENGE Cathedral Peak This is an epic all-day, 12- mile hike from Cathedral Peak Hotel to its namesake summit, with narrow ledges and steep rock faces. FOR A SHORTER HIKE Lone Rock Head into the hills from the Cavern Resort & Spa to enjoy rock art, as well as deep views of green valleys and surrounding peaks, on a 2.5-mile round trip. Further route information and guides can be arranged via the Cavern Resort & Spa and Cathedral Peak Resort.…

THE BLUE TRAIN Long considered one of the world’s top luxury rail experiences, The Blue Train trundles in regal fashion between Cape Town and Pretoria (or vice versa), its sapphire carriages making the 994-mile journey over three days and two nights. The service has been running in some form for a century, and kings, rock stars and Nelson Mandela himself have all walked its carpeted corridors. It’s not cheap, but tickets include butler service, high tea, fine food and drink, goosedown bedding and, in some suites, full-size bathtubs. The scenery is no less of a draw —from the vast bushland of the Karoo to the rugged peaks of the Hex River Mountains. From 32,435 ZAR (£1,360) per person. bluetrain.co.za SHOSHOLOZA MEYL This well-priced sleeper train network is waking up after…

If you’re looking for a symbol of Berlin’s 20th-century history, you could do a lot worse than the Teufelsberg. Rising out of the Grunewald forest, at the western edge of the city, this 375ft hill is made almost entirely out of the wreckage of the Second World War. Bricks mainly, but also broken lintels, smashed tiles and pock-marked stone: in the end, 26 million cubic metres of the stuff, cleared from Berlin’s streets, was dumped here over the half-finished shell of a military academy. The Nazis had been building it when, in 1945, Stalin’s tanks rolled in. Then, the British and Americans placed a listening post on top, crowned with a handful of antennas encased in domes like great, white golf balls. Once staffed by 1,500 Cold War spies, it…

THE EXPERTS I’ve been on safari in Africa and would love to try a unique alternative next. Can you suggest any good destinations? Beyond the classic safari spots, you’ll find plenty of alternatives offering remarkable wildlife encounters, dramatic landscapes and, often, fewer tourists. Try the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh — home to an estimated 785 wild tigers. Kanha National Park, open from mid-October until June, is the pick of the reserves. 4WD safaris take in forests, rivers and savannah stalked by over 100 of the big cats, not to mention sloth bears, leopards, swamp deer and 300 bird species. Sleep in one of Shergarh’s luxurious canvas huts, set in woodland near the reserve. Stays from 17,756 INR (£167) fullboard; private jeep safaris from 14,622 INR (£140) shergarh.com Alternatively,…

Back in February 2020, when the UK aviation industry signed a pledge to cut net carbon emissions to zero by mid-century, then Heathrow Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye reached for a memorable analogy. “I imagine it’s like it is for alcoholics,” he said. “The first step is to admit we have a problem —and then do something about it.” In such a context, perhaps Virgin Atlantic’s transatlantic flight last November powered solely by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) should be viewed as that first tentative night out with friends sipping alcohol-free beer. Made from a blend of waste fats and plant sugars, the innovative fuel —indistinguishable from the real stuff to the naked eye —has the potential to slash CO2 emissions by up to 70%, compared to fossil-based jet fuel, over…