National Geographic Traveller (UK) December 2022

Charlotte Wigram-Evans In Hanoi, tradition thrives. Nothing illustrates this better than its food, from girls giggling over sticky rice to students slurping pho bowls from hole-in-the-wall eateries. But you’ll also meet chefs keen to mix it up, blending old recipes with new techniques. HANOI P.156 Stephen Phelan As a Goya fan, I wanted to see some of the painter’s best work in his hometown of Zaragoza. The city turned out to have its own magnetism — apresent-tense place to feast on Aragónese culture, pleasantly haunted by 2,000 years of history. WEEKENDER P.50 Audrey Gillan As a Glasgow Girl, I grew up within shouting distance of Argyll. Yet, it wasn’t until later in life that I appreciated its beauty and bounty — there’s incredible food available across the region, if you…

Despite the turbulence of recent years, and the current economic situation, the world continues to turn, and tourism initiatives continue to develop, regardless of everything going on around us. Compiled by National Geographic Traveller editors across the globe, the annual Best of the World list reflects the travel landscape as we see it for the 12 months ahead. With options on your doorstep, a short hop across to Europe or much further afield, this year’s 35 destinations offer insight into a vast array of experiences available for visitors from far and wide. But rather than simply being a list to tick off, it’s a closer look at cultural reawakenings, conservation initiatives and Indigenous programmes focused on improving, preserving and developing destinations for the benefit of local people and wildlife, as…

SNAPSHOT Aroni, Kabalutan, Indonesia The village of Kabalutan, on the island of Sulawesi, is home to the Bajau people. For centuries, the Bajau have free-dived in the waters around them, catching and selling fish. While spending time there, I met Aroni, the only villager who crafts swimming goggles. He makes them from mangrove wood and recycled glass — it takes him two days to complete a pair. Meeting and chatting with Aroni was a highlight of my trip, and he showed me the age-old techniques he uses to work with just a handful of materials. His goggles don’t let water in and are as good as any mass-produced ones. LYNN GAIL • PHOTOGRAPHER BIG PICTURE Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas, Costa Rica Plagued by mosquitoes, I waded chest-deep into murky water where…

Some will have wondered what took Michelin so long to visit Toronto. After all, this is a city that really knows how to eat, whether it’s Chinese-Caribbean fusion food or spectacular sashimi. It’s the first Michelin Guide to a Canadian city, and there’s plenty to whet the appetite. According to the guide, the 74-strong list represents Toronto’s ‘international inspiration and distinct creativity’, with 13 restaurants having received at least one Michelin star. Japanese cuisine features prominently, with the likes of Aburi Hana gaining a star for its sophisticated menu. Quetzal impressed with its Mexican dishes cooked over a woodburning grill, while Alo earned a star for its contemporary French fare. Italian restaurant Don Alfonso 1890 was also recognised for the likes of buffalo tenderloin wrapped in Swiss chard and hazelnut…

On 14 November 1922, the British Broadcasting Company began reporting from a studio on the Strand in London. A hundred years later, this rich heritage is the inspiration for the Science Museum Group’s series of exhibitions up and down the country, celebrating both the BBC’s centenary and the 40th anniversary of Channel 4. At London’s Science Museum, the BBC At 100 exhibition brings together a collection of artefacts from the past century, including a portable disc recorder used to report directly from the battlefields of the Second World War and a 1980s Cyberman costume from the 25th series of Doctor Who. The show focuses not just on broadcasting, but also on the pivotal role the Beeb has played in the nation’s education, too, with a look at its Computer Literacy…

Romania’s landscape is dominated by the Carpathian Mountains and the mighty River Danube, with many smaller rivers carving their way through forests and hills to nourish fertile plains. This is a country of dairy, where creme fraiche is so thick you can slice it with a knife; of plums, which are turned into magiun fruit butter or baked into pies; and of walnuts, used in many age-old dishes. It’s also a country of overlapping cultures. Culinary exchanges happened over centuries of tumultuous history, from the honey-sweetened cheese pies of the ancient Greeks and Romans, to the nutty halvas of the Ottomans and the rolled filo pastry strudel of the Habsburgs. A tava (baking tray) taken out of the oven might carry a plăcintă (savoury cheese pie), cornulețe crescents (pastries) filled…