National Geographic Traveler October/November 2019

Adventure is about what comes next. It’s about starting something new and not worrying so much about how it will end. In travel, adventure summons some of our flintiest qualities: courage, craftiness, dogged determination. It also calls forth those magical traits—optimism, humor, a flair for improvisation—that are indispensable in the face of the unknown and unknowable thing that hasn’t yet happened. Our ADVENTURE ISSUE is all about the here and now, the places and faces of the world as we find it. We revel in the sparkling pairing of prosecco and mountain biking in the Dolomites. We look back to visionary women travelers to lean in on fearless female adventurers who are forging ahead in Sweden, Australia, Colombia, and beyond. We identify the trends in sustainability, geography, and community engagement…

RUNNING WILD WITH BEAR GRYLLS In the new season of this hit series, beginning November 5 on the National Geographic Channel, daring celebs such as rock climber Alex Honnold and actress Brie Larson test their mettle in remote spots around the globe. TRIPS FOR 2020 Hiking through hill tribe villages in Thailand and visiting the pyramids in Egypt are two of six new adventures offered by National Geographic Expeditions. Book now for next year at natgeoexpeditions.com/explore. EXPLORATION HAPPENS BECAUSE OF YOU When you read, watch, shop, or travel with us, you help advance the work of our scientists, explorers, and educators around the world. To learn more, visit natgeo.com/info. PERUSE THE PARKS The first ever Atlas of the National Parks illustrates what makes America’s protected places so spectacular. See photos, maps, and graphics of parks from Acadia…

Show Us Your Epic Journeys We asked for your most spectacular travel photos—and you delivered Nearly 22,000 entries poured into National Geographic Traveler’s photo contest to document the greatest adventures on the planet. The winning image (opposite; see story online) frames an idyllic sunrise scene on Siargao Island in the Philippines. MARKETA KYNCLOVA AND MATT FIELD, from Perth, Australia, were exploring the island interior when they encountered young locals leaping into the Maasin River from a rope swing. They happily joined in, leading to a fast friendship. “We wanted to keep this moment alive forever,” Field says, and the next day they rose before dawn to get this shot. Traveler’s director of photography, Anne Farrar, loves the picture’s sense of adventure. “It feels like the beginning of an epic journey,” she says.—The…

Untouched. Untamed. Yet bursting with endless opportunity. The Norwegian Lofoten Islands, far above the Arctic Circle, is everything an adventurer could wish for and more. So when the opportunity came to explore the majestic cliffs and wild waters of the North Sea, National Geographic photographer Chris Burkard was ready. As a photographer, Chris is no stranger to capturing the world’s sunniest beaches. Though over time, even the most warm and beautiful places will eventually become monotonous. What Chris felt was lacking from his day job was a sense of wonder, a sense of real adventure. He was eager to find a rare wilderness, one that offers an untrammeled landscape of picturesque mountains, deep fjords and fierce waters. Looking for a new location, Chris decided it was time for a drastic change. He…

BERLIN • VIRGINIA • NEW UNESCO SITES • THE ARCTIC • DOMINICA• LEBANON • NATIONAL PARKS • PRAGUE Diving In “Everything is flowing, and you give up the idea of control.” That’s how surfer and world traveler Anna Ehrgott feels when she’s riding an epic wave. There are plenty of those off the Big Island of Hawaii, where fellow surfer and photographer Sarah Lee captured this portrait of Ehrgott during the magical golden hour. Lee, who was free diving with just a mask, fins, and a camera in underwater housing, says “the sunset light lit her up perfectly as she pushed her board beneath the waves” (in a surfing move called a duck dive). Though Ehrgott is based in Topanga, California, the search for surf-worthy destinations sends her around the globe. One surprising…

You don’t have to climb a mountain to experience the woes of elevation. Plenty of favorite travel spots perch on high. When there’s less oxygen, what happens to the body? “First it increases breathing, which can feel like a shortness of breath,” says Peter Hackett, director of the Institute for Altitude Medicine in Colorado. “Second, the blood vessels in the brain expand. That gives the sensation of a headache.” Ascending slowly, over two or three days, and using these tips will help you feel good at the top. LUNG CAPACITY People breathe at least 30 percent more at high altitude than at sea level. MOVING ON UP When going from sea level to 9,000 feet, 60 percent of people will get a headache, and about 25 percent will get acute mountain sickness. POPULAR THIN-AIR DESTINATIONS •…