National Geographic Traveller (UK) March 2025

Karlina Valeiko In addition to its windswept beaches and reputation for active adventures, Essaouira, on Morocco’s wild Atlantic coast, has a historic medina, a solid arts and crafts heritage — and a hedonistic past, traces of which are still evident today. ESSAOUIRA P.48 Monisha Rajesh My time on board the Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu was the journey of a lifetime. The company, the food and drink and the scenery came together on the rails to create moments I hoped would last forever. THE WORLD’S BEST TRAIN TRIPS P.68 Francesco Lastrucci The city of Kochi keeps drawing me back to India’s Malabar coast. Beyond its rich history and spice markets, whenever I need to slow down, there’s something about watching the sun rise over its lush backwaters that brings me…

Editorial Director & Chief Operating Officer: Maria Pieri Editor: Pat Riddell Deputy Editor: Amanda Canning Executive Editor: Lorna Parkes Features Editor: Georgia Stephens Assistant Editors: Sam Kemp, Angela Locatelli Senior Editor: Sarah Barrell Associate Editors: Orla Thomas, Nicola Trup, Farida Zeynalova Managing Editor: Glen Mutel Senior Content Strategist: Berkok Yüksel Digital Content Editor: Karlina Valeiko Art Director: Becky Redman Deputy Art Director: Lauren Atkinson-Smith Art Editors: Lauren Gamp, Kelly Markwell Senior Designers: Rosie Klein, Dean Reynolds Designer: Tully D’Souza Junior Designer: Natalie Cornelius Picture Editor: Olly Puglisi Picture Researcher: Aisha Nazar Branded Content Manager (maternity): Flora Neighbour Acting Branded Content Manager: Megan Hughes Senior Editor, Branded Content: Sara Crossley Senior Project Editor: Beth Finney Project Editors: Emma Al-Mousawi, Zoe Bell, Emma Monk, Sacha Scoging, Charlotte Wigram-Evans Assistant Project Editor: Kira Richards, Hannah Wild Chief…

Rail hasn’t always had the best reputation in the UK — expensive, overcrowded, delayed — but there’s no escaping the fact that it once had a glamourous heyday, one that involved intricate wood panelling, starched white tablecloths and immaculately dressed staff and guests. While Agatha Christie may be partly responsible for ensuring those memories have lasted long after steam engines were retired, a rediscovery of the joys of rail travel has been gaining speed around the globe. Previously redundant tracks are coming back to life, vintage carriages are being restored and, more importantly, the journey itself is being relished as much as the end point. This issue, we celebrate some of the best train journeys around the globe. These include the red landscapes and alpine views of the Rocky Mountaineer…

| 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…

SNAPSHOT Margret Chola, Zambia I heard about Margret through her granddaughter Dee, a talented stylist with a great eye for detail. During one of our regular photoshoots, she mentioned that she’d started styling the 84-year-old — now a viral fashion icon — and suggested doing a collaborative session in the village of 10 Miles in Central Province. I loved the idea of capturing their intergenerational bond, their harmoniousness and contrasts. While Dee brings that modern edge, Margret embodies a sort of timeless grace. She’s confident and carries herself with such dignity.…

Maramureș, Romania Tradition means a lot in this rural, northerly region. On important religious occasions, communities gather for church services, wearing intricately embroidered traditional dress. Here, in the Church of Saint Parscheva, in Sat Șugatag, it’s customary for the young women of the village to sit on the right side of the balcony, opposite the young men, while the priest delivers the sermon. I love how their faces form a living layer between the richly painted figures above and below.…