Innholdsfortegnelse for January / February 2025 i National Geographic Traveller (UK)

The scene Straddling the Wallace Line separating the biogeographical realms of Asia and Australasia, lush Sumba is a couple of island hops east of Bali in the southern reaches of the 3,200-mile-long Indonesian archipelago. As close to Broome, Australia as it is to Jakarta, it’s a hilly, sparsely developed island intersected by just two main roads — yet it’s 15 times the size of Singapore. Life here feels remote and detached. Thatched-roofed villages cluster around megalithic tombs and most locals continue to adhere to traditional Marapu beliefs, an Indigenous religion rooted in ancestor worship. Indigenous languages are more widely spoken here than Indonesian, and animal sacrifices still commonly mark significant events — especially the annual Pasola Festival, a mounted spear-throwing competition held in February or March. Edged by rugged volcanic…

Ancient Egyptian history is brought to life by a cast of thousands, from Tutankhamun’s gilded death mask to the pyramids’ enigmatic Sphinx. But drive 100 miles south west of Cairo into the vast sandscape of the Western Desert and it’s possible to see the clock wind back even further — to a time when Egypt was populated not by kings but monsters. Here, at the end of a long, unsealed road is Wadi al-Hitan, a 75sq-mile UNESCO World Heritage Site said to hold the key to one of the mysteries of evolution. You wouldn’t think so looking at it. There’s no life in this sand valley: no houses, no trees — just mile after mile of desert stretching in every direction, as endless and golden as the riches of the…

Best for art-lovers £££ GALLERIA VIK Spread across the upper floors of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s oldest shopping arcade, this arty hotel is the first European outpost of South American brand Vik Retreats. It proudly reflects the Uruguayan heritage of co-founder Alex Vik via art installations and dedicated culture and food nights. Each of the 89 guest rooms is entirely distinct; you might find yourself in bed beneath a Renaissance-style mural or in a blue-and-peach-spattered bathroom. A huge cast of Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker awaits guests in the striking lobby. There are two restaurants here: casual I Dodici Gatti, serving wood-fired pizzas, and more upmarket Vik Pellico Otto, whose menu blends European and South American influences. ROOMS: From €386 (£324), B&B. galleriavikmilano.com Best for maximalists £ NHOW MILANO Loud…

It’s almost sunset, and the hilltop cave quarter of Sacromonte is just beginning to stir. The summer heat, which has been smothering Granada all day like a weighted blanket, has begun to lift; the heady scent of wisteria hangs on the breeze, and the shaded plazas echo with the meowing of cats and the shouts of playing children. As I walk up the steep cobbled streets, another sound filters in — the plucking of a classical guitar, coming from the open door of a hillside home. “Sacromonte has a magic of its own,” says guitarist Pepe Romero when I meet him inside. “It was here in the mountains that the Romani people settled. Then the Muslims and Jews, exiled by the Christian authorities, took refuge here in the 16th century.…

Inflation is on everyone’s mind. In addition to booming postpandemic demand, it has pushed up holiday prices — worsened by conflict in Eastern Europe and the Middle East triggering fuel price spikes and supply shortages. Between July 2023 and July 2024, the cost of a European package break went up by an average of 6.6% according to EU agency Eurostat, and similar trends are forecast for flights and hotels. From 2025, there are also ancillary costs such as new tourist taxes on the horizon. But is it all bad news? What’s making flights cost more? In its October 2024 budget, the UK government announced that, from 2026, air passenger duty for anyone aged over 16 will increase by about 15% to ‘account for previous high inflation’. While the tax on…

TICKETS FROM £25 28-30 JANUARY 2025 ONLINE & IN PERSON Learn from the experts Where will your creativity take you in 2025? Find out with our latest series of workshops for aspiring storytellers. Sponsored by MPB, The Masterclasses offer you the chance to hone your skills in the company of award-winning, industryleading National Geographic Traveller (UK) editors and contributors. The series, perfect for enthusiasts and professionals alike, comprises six panel discussions delving into writing and photography — four virtual sessions (28 and 29 January) plus two held in person at the National Theatre in London as part of a networking event on 30 January. Packed with rare insights, each will be moderated by a professional travel editor, writer or photographer working at the very top of their game. TRAVEL WRITING…

Tell us about this image. This was taken on Aitutaki, one of the 15 islands that make up the Cook Islands. While driving through the centre of town, I saw the traffic had come to a complete standstill. People with guitars were jumping off the back of utes and gathering in a nearby field, so of course I jumped out to join them. These dancers turned out to be students from the local college who were performing to raise money for a new printer. How did you achieve the shot? It was late afternoon when I took this shot. There was lovely sunshine, but the scene was harshly backlit by the sun reflecting off the ocean. I knew I’d have to compensate for that, so I dialled up my exposure…

Few destinations have captured the hearts and imaginations of National Geographic Traveller (UK) readers like Japan has in recent years. And you’re not alone — the East Asian archipelago has seen visitor numbers rocket in the postpandemic era. A weak yen, increased flight capacity and a growing interest in the Land of the Rising Sun have meant record arrivals in 2024, while the Japanese government has set a rather ambitious target of almost doubling the number of tourists to 60 million by 2030. While the country adapts to its growing popularity, and some of its most popular destinations — such as Kyoto and Mount Fuji — find ways of getting used to more visitors, this issue we focus on attractions beyond the nation’s more obvious highlights. Japan’s islands stretch for…

Why did I go to the ends of the world? Because it’s one of the only places you can photograph white Arctic wolves in the wild. There are only about 200 of them on Canada’s northernmost island, many utterly naive to the presence of people. In this huge wilderness, temperatures can drop below-35C, so our expedition was tough going, but on day 12 we finally spotted a lone wolf in the distance. A few moments later he started to approach us, carefully checking us out before pausing to howl — the sound gave me goose bumps. Nine more wolves then arrived to join their leader. For the next seven hours, we followed the wolf pack — although at times it felt as though it was us being followed. amiteshel.com @siberianart…

On any given night in Rio de Janeiro, walk a block inland from Ipanema Beach, along Rua Vinícius de Moraes, and the sound of waves will be replaced by the soft pulse of bossa nova. The genre — downbeat samba with a hint of jazz — was made famous here in the 1960s, when Ipanema was Rio’s newest, hottest district, home to bossa king Antônio Carlos Jobim. It can be heard floating across the street from the curved terrace of bar and restaurant Vinícius (2), where musicians seem to serenade Ipanema itself. As locals pass below — on their way back from the beach, off to drink or shop in this most chi-chi of Rio neighbourhoods — they’re as much a part of the performance as the diners themselves. Rio’s…

THE EXPERIENCE Specialist tour operator Le Boat has been helping travellers self-captain modern boats along some of Europe’s best waterways for more than 50 years. In France, the company operates in nine regions, as well as the UNESCO-listed Canal du Midi, which connects the Atlantic to the Mediterranean via iconic wine regions. Other options include following the River Lot, with its dramatic limestone cliffs and hilltop villages, or the curve of the Mediterranean, alongside the pretty beaches of southern France and lagoons of the Camargue, where white horses and pink flamingos roam free. THE PRIZE Courtesy of Le Boat, Europe’s leading provider of self-drive river and canal boat holidays, one prize winner and five guests can travel to any of Le Boat’s French destinations on board a Horizon 1 or…

ROAD TRIPS RV camping diversifies More Black Americans are taking RV camping trips than ever, thanks partly to new community groups. DISASTER AFTERMATH Asheville in the wake of Helene The hurricane ravaged parts of the North Carolina city, but hospitality businesses are steadily re-opening. ANIMAL FRIENDS Top tips for trips with pets The travel world is rolling out the red carpet for animal guests, from pet-friendly hotels to flights. LONG-DISTANCE HIKES The Via Transilvanica Explore Romania’s 870-mile trail through citadels, villages and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. NICARAGUA What to know before visiting A rising number of travellers are discovering this country’s surf spots, quaint villages and new hotels. INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES America’s national parks Discover these wild destinations through the eyes of the people who first called them home. SEARCH FOR…

1 KURASHIKI With cobbled streets centred around a willow-lined canal, the historical quarter of Bikan in Kurashiki is one of the prettiest in Japan. It’s on the Seto Inland Sea coast; travellers can drift along the canal on a traditional wooden boat, or admire the wooden machiya (townhouses) and converted white kura (storehouses). Japan’s jeans industry also started in this area and denim shops are a speciality of the city, along with cute cafes and cosy izakaya bars. TOP TIP: Look out for Bizen ware, a traditional local pottery style that originated in the 14th century, still sold all over the city. 2 KANAZAWA Ishikawa’s prefectural capital is often called ‘Little Kyoto’, thanks to its geisha districts, temples and gardens. But its appeal extends to a samurai district plus museums…

Consider for one moment the unlikely existence of the pangolin. The world’s only scaly mammal looks like an armadillo but has more in common genetically with a dog. It has no teeth, poor eyesight, and its tongue, attached to a point near its pelvis, is longer than its body. It has four legs but shuffles along on its back two. So peculiar is its appearance, it has not one but two less-than-flattering nicknames: ‘walking pinecone’ and ‘artichoke with a tail’. People of a certain age will note its resemblance to a Clanger. Appearing 85 million years ago — when the North American continent nudged against Europe, and Antarctica had yet to break from Australia and make its journey south — the first of its kind shared the world with T-Rexes, velociraptors…

How do you grasp the vastness of India? Within its borders are mountains older than human civilisation, jungles seemingly as boundless as the ocean, an immense desert of salt and a city of seven islands. And with many diverse cultures and traditions — and just as many festivals to celebrate them — it’s impossible to talk about the country as a single place. One trip is hardly enough to experience everything India has to offer, but for those seeking a starting point, the Golden Triangle — linking Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, the gateway to the Taj Mahal—offers the perfect introduction. Aptly named for the near-perfect shape that these north-central cities form on a map, this popular route — commencing in the capital of Delhi and slicing through the heart of…

How far in advance should I book my trip? It’s recommended to book three to six months in advance to secure better deals. Safari bookings should also be made early to ensure availability. While online booking is an option, in-person document verification on the day of the safari can be time-consuming. Hiring an agent to manage the entire process is a convenient alternative and typically requires sharing a copy of your passport. What should I know about traditions around eating with hands and safe street-food practices in India? Eating with hands is a custom rooted in ayurveda, believed to enhance mindfulness and digestion. The right hand is typically used, as the left is considered unclean in many traditions. Care is taken to scoop food with the fingers, using the thumb…

The train station with the longest name in the UK. It serves a small village on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales 72 miles THE LENGTH OF THE SETTLE TO CARLISLE LINE. THE ROUTE TAKES IN VISTAS OF THE YORKSHIRE DALES AND NORTH PENNINES 21 The number of arches along the Glenfinnan Viaduct. It appears in the Harry Potter films and forms part of the West Highland Line’s Glasgow to Mallaig route 3.5 million THE NUMBER OF PASSENGER JOURNEYS MADE BY TRAIN EVERY DAY IN THE UK, AROUND 70% OF WHICH START OR FINISH IN LONDON 1,339 feet THE ELEVATION OF SCOTLAND’S CORROUR STATION, THE HIGHEST OF ANY UK MAINLINE STATION 3,140 feet The height gain of the Snowdon Mountain Railway, which runs almost to the summit of Yr Wyddfa…

THE CATEGORIES People More often than not, it’s the people you encounter that make a trip — but it can be difficult capturing the character of someone you’ve only just met. Have you managed it? City life Labyrinthine souks, striking architecture, edgy street art — life in cities takes on many forms. Finding your subject amid the hubbub is the key to urban photography. Landscape Shooting a landscape might seem easy, but few can really draw out the defining features. Can you identify intriguing contrasts, or show a level of detail that others can’t see? Wildlife Wildlife is one of the great wonders of travel. Spotting creatures in their natural habitat can be about luck — capturing them with your camera is not. Food Whether it’s a local farmer bringing…

1 Algarve, Portugal Inland from the Algarve’s popular southern beaches, there are cork forests, Moorish fortresses and pretty, little-visited villages. The Algarve Walking Season website draws visitors to these areas by promoting hiking festivals, and it has now launched an Englishlanguage version. Look out for a new event in Santa Bárbara de Nexe from 7-8 February 2025. algarvewalkingseason.com 2 LIVERPOOL, UK The UK’s first public floating sauna has opened at Liverpool’s Princes Dock, bringing the tranquillity of Scandinavian wellness culture to the city’s waterfront. Called Wyld, it offers Finnish-style steam baths, ice plunges and heated outdoor showers with salt scrubs — plus water access for a post-sauna dip in the River Mersey. Guided sessions are set to include Aufguss (a sauna ritual) and breathwork. wyldsauna.com 3 NORTH BRABANT, NETHERLANDS Fans…

BEST FOR CHANNELLING INDIANA JONES Ancient treasures in Egypt Combine a visit to Cairo’s long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum with a scramble around sites including the Sphinx and Great Pyramids at Giza. Part of National Geographic’s Family Journey series in conjunction with G Adventures, the 10-day Discover Egypt tour is guided by a qualified Egyptologist — guests learn about discoveries still being unearthed, then drift down the Nile in a felucca to have dinner in a Nubian family home. SUITABLE FOR: 12+ gadventures.com grandegyptianmuseum.org BEST FOR TRAIN FANS All aboard in Northern England Start in Shildon in County Durham, where a new hall at Locomotion houses Europe’s largest covered collection of historic railway vehicles. Next, head to York for engineering-themed experiments and games at the National Railway Museum. Finish up riding…

Dianne Whelan, 59, is an award-winning Canadian documentary filmmaker and author. In 2015, with little hiking experience, she set off from St John’s, Newfoundland, to walk, bike and canoe the Trans Canada Trail, which stretches some 14,900 miles across the country as the longest trail network in the world. For most of her six-year journey she travelled solo, filming for her latest independent documentary, 500 Days in the Wild. What did the route involve? My goal was to complete the journey in one continuous line, beginning on the Atlantic coast and making my way across Canada to Alberta, where I’d head north up to the Arctic Ocean before heading back down to the finish line on the Pacific. In all, the route is made up of 487 separate trails, involving…

With light pollution increasing by 10% every year, fewer and fewer people have regular access to a truly dark night sky. Unhindered stargazing has become a rare experience for many, yet it’s a tranquil escape from the frenetic modern world, giving us the chance to switch off and reflect on the enormity of the cosmos and our place in it. Light pollution not only affects our ability to see stars but also has a significant impact on astronomical research, harms biodiversity, contributes to global warming and impacts human health. Preserving dark skies is essential for all living things, and being a respectful astrotourist helps you play a part in protecting our planet for future generations — here’s how to do it responsibly. Where and when to go stargazing The ideal…

1 SUNRISE IZUMO One of Japan’s last regular sleeper trains follows a route linking Tokyo with the coastal town of Izumo in southwestern Honshu. Drift off in Tokyo after the 9.50pm departure, and you’ll wake up amid the shimmering green rice fields of western Japan, if travelling in summer, or its whitecloaked mountains in winter. By the time you reach Izumo, around 10am, you’ll be refreshed and ready to explore the town’s ancient Shinto shrine, Izumo Taisha, and the surrounding beaches, gorges and sealashed lighthouses. Competition for berths is fierce — when tickets go on sale a month before departure, the most popular spots sell out in minutes. Each sleeping berth has huge windows that curve slightly over the top of the upper bunks. Even the cheapest, ‘nobi nobi’ tickets…

VIKING CHIEFTAINS IN NORWAY’S MOST SOUGHT-AFTER ARCHIPELAGO HAD A NOVEL WAY OF ENSURING THEIR GATHERINGS PASSED OFF WITHOUT THE CUSTOMARY BLOODSHED. Swords were left on one island, shields on another, with the power talks themselves staged on a third landmass, broadly equidistant between the two. That this is being explained to me with the trio of islands within eyeshot, and by a man with a robust resemblance to a Viking warrior, lends the point a splendid indelibility. With his imposing bulk and long russet beard, one could well imagine Vidar Hansen riding the prow of an advancing longship brandishing a double-edged sword and unleashing the odd ice-meltingly fearsome roar. Alas, today the guide is wielding nothing more offensive than a kayak paddle, and the only pillaging on his mind is…

1 DELHI While many travellers rush through Delhi, eager to press on south, those who stay are rewarded. As soon as you leave the airport you’re caught between two worlds: Old Delhi, where the call to prayer drifts between Mughal-era monuments — remnants of the Muslim dynasty that ruled most of India from 1526 to 1857 — and modern New Delhi, where jacaranda-lined avenues, buzzing with auto-rickshaws, burst into purple bloom in summer. The latter was purpose-built during British rule and has been the national capital since 1947. Don’t miss Jama Masjid, the city’s primary mosque that’s an architectural triumph of marble and red sandstone; the Red Fort, a Mughal masterpiece and UNESCO site that took 10 years to build; and the Partition Museum, which offers haunting insight into the…

From the Pacific waves crashing against the coastline to the legendary peaks of the Canadian Rockies, British Columbia’s epic landscapes seem made for adventure. This is Canada’s most biologically diverse province, home to coastal rainforests, mountain ranges and fertile valleys. Here, you can climb the crags that loom above scenic ski villages or wind along the roads that hug the shoreline. For a more laidback experience, take the opportunity to taste local wines in the Okanagan Valley or meander between microbreweries in Victoria. No matter your preference, here are five unforgettable places to discover in Canada’s westernmost province. VANCOUVER British Columbia’s largest city is wedged between the gentle waves of the Pacific and densely forested mountain parks. Explore Vancouver’s coastline on a whale-watching tour, keeping an eye out for the…

As attention turns to a new year, our enthusiasm for exploring the world remains undiminished. United Nations agency UN Tourism forecasts that at the close of 2024, travel will have finally bounced back to prepandemic levels — and may even have taken baby steps to exceeding 2019 figures — even as the planet faces continuing geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and volatile weather patterns. So, what next? Although we may have been packing our bags in droves, ‘the pace of recovery has been uneven’, according to a July report by intergovernmental body the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. While some regions — including Australia and New Zealand — were slow to open back up after Covid, perennial travel favourites closer to home have seen visitors return with a vengeance. The…