Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2024 i National Geographic Traveller (UK)

Every morning, farmers from across Rangamati come together on Kaptai Lake to sell their produce along the water’s edge. I travelled far to witness the spectacle, making the journey through the night from my home city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. I arrived just in time to see the first boats gathering, each one laden with seasonal fruit. I waited for some time before using a drone to photograph the floating market from above, the water filled with gleaming piles of jackfruit, pineapples and mangoes. azimronnie.com @azimronnie Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year…

From the giant, primary-coloured Lego bricks and yellow figures that pop up along the roads to the hopscotch routes that encircle the town, Billund offers a unique family adventure. This tiny hub in central Denmark is where Lego was founded in the 1930s. Today, it bills itself as the Capital of Children and has multiple attractions that stretch the imagination and champion creativity in fun ways. Legoland Most families’ main reason for a trip to Billund is the Legoland theme park. It’s divided into themed ride zones, fanning out from a central ‘miniland’ with models that move, blow smoke and depict famous landmarks. Lots of the attractions are interactive. On the Ninjago ride, you shoot at zombie warriors by ninja-chopping over sensors. At Pirate Splash Battle, bystanders can pick water…

1 MRS PALMERS COMP COOL SURFBOARD WAX —FOUR-BLOCK PACK Ever wondered how surfersmanage not to slip on wet boards? Surf wax is the answer, and MrsPalmers’ cool-water formula makes this bundle a good option for mild-temperature surfs. Apply it every two months in long cross strokes, using the corner of the bar to create the grippiest texture. £14.95. surfsurfsurf.co.uk 2 D-ROBE THE ROLL-TOP 20L Durable and waterproof, this rucksack will keep your valuables safe from sand and splashes. It’s spacious enough to easily fit a changing robe and has easy-to-access pockets for sunscreen, sunglasses and other essentials. Unroll the top to expand the rucksack, or rotate a compressing valve to let air out. A 35L option is available for the same price. £69. d-robeoutdoors.com 3 PASSENGER ESCAPISM RECYCLED SHERPA LINED…

Rectory Farm, Oxford Rectory Farm has its own shop and cafe, meaning you can spend a happy afternoon ambling through the fields before a restorative slice of cake. By October, pumpkins and gourds will be ready — this year the team planted stripy celebration, white casperita and small orange uchiki kuri gourds. You get a discount if you bring your own reusable containers. Cattows Farm, Heather, Leicestershire After the soft fruit season ends, Cattows Farm transforms from a traditional pick-your-own into a Halloween farm. Look out for crown prince squash, tractor squash and acorn squashes like the harlequin, plus knobbly ornamental gourds. Canalside Farm, Great Haywood, Staffordshire This farm has been going for 40 years and provided the local area with one of its first farm shops. If you’re lucky,…

Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest and deepest railway tunnel in the world. Trains burrow for 35 miles beneath snowcapped Alpine peaks, plunging to depths known mostly to miners and single-celled organisms. Board a train to journey through it, and you can bear witness to this feat of engineering, and with a window seat you also see how this tunnel divides two different worlds. North of the Gotthard, you’re in Switzerland, among meadows where cowbells clang and kitchens serve stew and strudel. When the train re-emerges into sunshine, south of the tunnel, palms begin to displace conifers trackside and the hiss of espresso machines can be heard in station cafes. And when the balmy breath of the distant Mediterranean drifts in through an open carriage window, you understand that,…

THE BEARS OF CHURCHILL 1,000 THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF POLAR BEARS THAT MIGRATE TO CHURCHILL, MANITOBA EACH YEAR. THEY’RE FORCED ASHORE WHEN THE ICE IN HUDSON BAY MELTS 10,000 The estimated number of wildlife spotters who travel to Churchill each year for ‘bear season’. The best time to catch sight of the creatures is between October and November 27% THE AMOUNT THE WEST HUDSON BAY POLAR BEAR POPULATION HAS FALLEN OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, DUE TO DECLINING SEA ICE HEAVYWEIGHTS 1,760 lbs The weight a male polar bear can reach. Polar bears are the world’s largest bear species and largest land carnivore 45kg The amount of seal blubber a polar bear can eat in one sitting. This diet helps bears create a thick layer of insulated fat, allowing them…

You don’t need a detailed knowledge of Italy’s history to understand that the country’s whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A conglomeration of republics, city-states, kingdoms and principalities — unified in 1861 — the country has remained distinctly regional in its make-up, but very much at one in its global appeal to travellers. Having visited obscure corners of Abruzzo, Piedmont and Trentino, I can assure you that almost anywhere you visit in Italy has a unique charm and character. But its disparate parts also share a very obvious commonality, too, which means there’s a pleasing familiarity wherever you go. In this issue, we draw attention away from the country’s big hitters — as compelling as the likes of Rome, Florence and Venice are — and focus on…

The scene It’s connected to the west coast mainland by a bridge but the Isle of Skye still feels a place apart. Getting its name from an old Norse word for ‘misty isle’, it’s an elemental place, whose character shifts with the latest weather forecast. It has its blockbuster sites, among them the jagged rock pinnacles known as the Old Man of Storr, and colourful fishing villages such as Portree. But to really appreciate the island, you need to simply slow down and observe. To watch shadows drift across bracken-covered moorland. To gaze at sea lochs sparkling in the sunshine, eagles gliding above. To embrace the darkest nights as the Northern Lights skitter across the sky, knowing there’s a dram of whisky waiting by the fire. The experience The good…

No Turkish kebab has reached the soaring heights of culinary fame that the doner has. So popular has it become in its second home of Germany that it recently surpassed currywurst as the nation’s favourite fast food, according to a YouGov poll. Some even argue the doner kebab is, in fact, a German invention. The word ‘doner’ comes from the Turkish word dönmek, meaning ‘turning’. To create the kebab, numerous stacks of seasoned meat are threaded through a vertical spit and cooked via an upright grill. Once the outer layers start to crisp, they’re then thinly sliced and served. Traditionally lamb was king, but beef and chicken have also become popular. While there are countless variations, the meat is typically smothered in garlic sauce and chilli sauce and served inside…

Best for views £ £ STRAWBERRY HILL In 1780, the British royal family gifted this patch of mountain plateau to the Walpole family, descendants of the prime minister, kicking off a chain of illustrious English families coming here to winter. The current owner, Jamaica’s Island Records impresario Chris Blackwell, purchased the land in 1974 and built 13 clapboard cabins with views over twinkling Kingston, their fanciful fretwork and handsome verandahs mingling with almond trees. They’re charmingly modest, like stately homes that have let themselves go just a bit — and so traditional, Blackwell even debated whether it would be right to add the infinity pool it now has. The mahogany bar and dining room overlook the spectacular mountains in the other direction to Kingston. On Sunday mornings, distant church bells…

Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle, and a popular saying goes that in its countryside you can find 40 shades of green. Fly over the country, and you might set about counting them. There are the jade greens of the Shannon River Basin and the olive greens of the Wicklow Mountains. Spotted here and there are the racing greens of conifer forests, and bogs that are the faded green of a well-worn wax jacket. But as you reach the Atlantic coast, you can find an exception to the rule — a patch of terrain that isn’t green at all, but has the foreboding grey of an approaching storm cloud. This is the Burren, its name derived from the Irish word ‘boíreann’, which means ‘rocky place’. Here, over some 140sq…

Strolling through Lexington’s historic downtown is like taking a journey through time, where the elegance of 18th and 19thcentury architecture is interwoven with the vibrant culture of art galleries and the cozy allure of quaint cafes. Each April, when the town marks Patriots’ Day, visitors are likely to encounter costumed guides leading red-coated reenactors down the main thoroughfare. Dubbed the ‘Birthplace of American Liberty’, this patriotic town just 14 miles north west of Boston was the site of the famous ‘shot heard round the world’, the opening shot of the Battle of Lexington, fired on 19 April 1775, which kickstarted the American War of Independence. This former farming community sees art, culture and history collide in an idyllic setting. Here’s what to see, where to eat and when to go.…

The slogan “Virginia is for Lovers” has been a beloved part of the state’s charm since its inception in 1969, embodying the community spirit and rich history of Virginia. Today, this northeastern region of the US is still a location where visitors head to discover what really matters most — time well spent with family and friends. Located between the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia is a state home to diverse landscapes, rich history and luxury lodgings, with Scenic Byways that wind throughout. Here’s how to plan a road trip along these remote routes, passing Shenandoah National Park and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, with stopovers at historic hotels and unique wellness retreats. DAY ONE The rolling countryside of Virginia unfurls beyond the Potomac River from Washington, DC in…

The way British passport holders travel to the EU is changing from 10 November, with the launch of the new Entry/Exit System (EES). It will mean anyone travelling to and from most European countries without an EU passport will need to have their biometrics — fingerprints and photograph — captured and then checked on every visit. There are fears of queues in terminals and at ports as the rules come into force. It will add two to three minutes of processing time per passenger, up from about 45 seconds at present. Why’s the EES happening? EU officials describe EES as an ‘automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay each time they cross the external borders of European countries’. It’s designed to make the bloc’s borders…

GERMANY Schwerin Residence Ensemble The architecture of Schwerin, an urban hub in northern Germany, is steeped in Neo-Renaissance and neo-classical influences. It captures the essence of the 19th century with ornamental public gardens and cultural buildings, all tied together by the grand domes of Schwerin Castle. This UNESCO entry comprises 38 of the city’s most striking landscape and architectural features — a harmonious image of ornate, traditional German architecture, surrounded by the blue waters of Lake Schwerin. ITALY Via Appia Aptly nicknamed ‘the Queen of Roads’, this 500-mile stretch of craftsmanship built between 312-308 BCE is the oldest and most important Roman road. Connecting the Italian capital to southern Italy’s seaports, the cobbled highway facilitated the growth and development of new settlements — and the Roman Empire — while driving…

THE DESTINATION Suffolk Hideaways offers a collection of unique holiday cottages across Suffolk, each providing a blend of comfort and character. The properties have been handpicked to showcase the best of the region, from luxury homes by the sea to cosy retreats in the countryside. Among them is 4 Truman Lodge, an apartment overlooking the waterfront in the small coastal village of Thorpeness. It’s ideally situated to also explore the pretty seaside resorts of Aldeburgh, which has a long pebble beach and pastel-coloured houses, and Southwold, where the promenade is lined by quintessentially British beach huts. The Suffolk Hideaways team is on hand to advise on what to do and see in the destination. THE PRIZE Courtesy of Suffolk Hideaways, the winner and up to three guests will enjoy a…

OVERTOURISM Do tourist taxes work? Here’s where the money from fees in cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam and Venice really goes CITIES Pittsburgh’s 700 staircases In the USA’s most step-rich city, outdoor staircases make for scenic urban hikes CULTURE Greenland’s farm-to-farm hikes Walk past cobalt fjords, verdant pastures and well-preserved ruins to Inuit and Viking sheep farms HOTELS Where to stay in Amsterdam Explore the Dutch capital’s unique accommodation options, from a lakeside retreat to a former library ROAD TRIP Texas on Highway 90 A year younger than Route 66 but legendary in its own right, this road leads to the real Wild West FOOD The story behind balti This mildly spicy curry takes inspiration from Pakistani cuisine but was born in Birmingham SEARCH FOR NATGEOTRAVELUK FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM X…

Rimini PAST LIVES Travellers have flocked to Rimini for its impressive 10-mile strip of sand since the 19th century, but inland is where you’ll find the city’s true soul. Words: Duncan Craig Bakary Tamba surveys his neat kingdom of sand, and smiles. The folded cream parasols on his patch of the Adriatic coastline stretch almost to the water’s edge, all perfectly aligned. The fine, blonde expanse is manicured and already warm to the touch. Offshore, a small yacht is coaxing a few knots from the morning breeze. All is as it should be — save for the absence of people. But they’ll come. They always do. The private beach club where 41-year-old Bakary works is one of scores that share Rimini’s 10-mile-long lungomare (seafront). The aesthetic may not be to…

Surrounded by baby clothes and frilly cardigans, it’s hard to believe I’m here to learn about Greek history. But beneath the children’s department of Zara on Stadiou Street lie the remnants of a Roman tomb. There isn’t a label or signpost in sight. Nothing to say who built it, why it’s here or when it was discovered. Above my head is a reinforced glass panel, on which dozens of shoppers unwittingly walk over a mysterious, most likely 2,000-year-old artefact. “Athens is a very alive city,” says Tina Kyriakis, flipping her thick, brown ringlets from her face. Born in the southern suburbs, my guide for the day is founder of the tour companies Alternative Athens and Back to the Routes. “Look at the city as a living organism,” she says. “We…

Can you recommend an itinerary taking in Mongolia’s cities and wilderness? Kick things off in Ulaanbaatar, an urban anomaly in a land of vast spaces. Tip your hat to Genghis Khan’s statue in Sükhbaatar Square before heading to Bayangol district to nose around the lavish winter palace of the Bogd Khan, Mongolia’s de-facto ruler after its independence from China in 1911. Don’t leave without visiting Gandan Monastery to walk the prayer circuit and catch a glimpse of the 85ft, gilded Migjid Janraisig statue — hollow and stuffed with Buddhist mantras and medicinal herbs. Given the rough terrain, you’ll need a 4WD to explore the steppe. A classic driving route out of Ulaanbaatar follows a southwesterly loop, stopping first at Khustain Nuruu National Park, where a trek gives you the chance to…

Tell us about this image. After exploring Valencia’s capital with the writer Orla Thomas, we journeyed together to Albufera Natural Park, a protected natural area home to a huge freshwater lagoon. Populated by an abundance of wetland birds, the landscape is especially beautiful towards evening, when local sailors occasionally take visitors out in traditional lateen sailing boats. Managing the boats’ triangular sails takes real skill, with many older people passing their knowledge down the generations. Perhaps that’s what drew me to this scene. My own grandfather was a harbour master in Barcelona and taught me how to sail in Palamós, a small town in the Costa Brava. How did you achieve the shot? We set out in two boats, one for me and one for Orla and her guide. I…