National Geographic Traveler April/May 2018

Embracing the unexpected is easier said than done. I’ve always admired those carefree travelers who seem to be able to alight at a moment’s notice with not much more than the clothes on their backs. A weekend jaunt to Iceland? Cool. A last-minute flight to Nicaragua? Nifty. What these adventurers show is that not knowing what’s going to happen is one of travel’s best allures. Isn’t it thrilling not to know how your own story will unfold? This issue celebrates the surprises of the unexpected and the sensations of the serendipitous. Our story “Epic Drives” was written and photographed by Gately Williams, a guy who has completed 16 road trips across America and learned something new at every turn. In “On the Road to Big Sur,” French illustrator Jean Jullien ventures…

The dense foliage and rushing streams of China’s Zhangjiajie National Forest Park make for a dramatic setting, especially when veiled in a moody mist. But the real scene-stealers? The 3,000 sandstone pillars that stand like indomitable sentries guarding this treasured landscape. It’s a weird and wonderful world that has provided inspiration for everything from ancient Chinese paintings to the sci-fi floating mountains in the trailblazing film Avatar by National Geographic Explorer-at-Large James Cameron. (One pillar, the former Southern Sky Column, was renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain.) Visitors here can stroll walkways, like this one passing a statue of a heart-shaped lock, climb stone steps, or tempt fate by crossing the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge over the nearby Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. Standing atop the transparent panels, nearly a thousand feet up, may just…

Whether Nat Geo Explorer Munazza Alam travels to a sacred summit in Hawaii or the parched plateaus of Chile, her goal is the same: to seek clarity amid the cosmic mysteries of the night sky. As a graduate student in astronomy and astrophysics at Harvard University, she focuses on exoplanets and the search for extraterrestrial life. Try her tips for better stargazing. 1 Disappear Into Thin Air Perched at nearly 14,000 feet, the observatory on top of Hawaii’s Mauna Kea is the world’s largest, with 13 telescopes that attract astronomers from all over. But an awe-inspiring spectacle is visible to the naked eye at the visitors center partway down the slope. “It’s better to stargaze at mid-altitude,” says Alam. “The atmosphere at the summit is so thin our eyes receive less oxygen.” 2…

Though relatively small in size—roughly equal to New Hampshire and Vermont combined—Switzerland packs a big punch. It’s home to a dozen UNESCO sites, a topographic diversity that includes palm trees and glaciers (not to mention four languages to call them by), and some of Europe’s most modern cities contrasted with tiny Alpine villages. The Grand Tour of Switzerland encompasses several top attractions and myriad new ways to absorb all the local flavors. Fuel up with snack boxes, available for purchase along the route, that contain regional specialties. And keep an eye out for the large red frames marking especially photogenic scenes. In 2017 the Grand Tour was fitted with electric car–charging stations, letting visitors explore one of the world’s greenest nations with a minuscule carbon footprint. Read on for some of…

Copenhagen’s most fabled resident, “The Little Mermaid,” still lounges on her harbor rock, luring thousands of photo-hungry visitors each day. The storybook pavilions of Tivoli Gardens continue to delight kids of all ages. And the historic townhouses of the Nyhavn neighborhood remain as colorful as when Hans Christian Andersen lived and wrote here 175 years ago. But make no mistake: In recent years Copenhagen has become far more than a quaint destination. With the average age of its residents having dropped to 35 and a quarter of its population of non-Danish origin, a youthful energy and international spirit now animate this creative city that routinely lands on lists of the world’s happiest—and coolest—places to live. Wander the interconnected islands centered on a historic harbor and you’ll encounter the contrasts that make the…

Splashes of graffiti bring a shock of energy to the soaring concrete walls of ex-factory AMASS, a certified organic restaurant whose prix fixe menu focuses on seasonal dishes like dry-aged beef with smoked sea snails or a roasted-beet sherbet accompanied by sour cream, rhubarb, and a crumble of salted grains and pickled pine. Organic ingredients also inspire the inventive cooking at RADIO, where unfinished wood floors add a warm touch to the Scandinavian-modern dining room. Depending on the time of year, fork-tender lamb or langoustine tartar spiked with radish and dill might appear on the three- or five-course tasting menus. Beverage pairings include a juice-only option with unusual concoctions like white grape tinged with chamomile. A pub-like vibe animates tiny MANFREDS, a basement-level wine bar in Nørrebro where an eclectic…