National Geographic Traveler

editor’s note by george!

Travel is a curious sort of alchemy that turns questions into quests, ideas into experiences, and meanderings into meanings. By immersing us in the unknown, travel helps us distill truths from the world around us—the places we go, the people we meet, the things we see and eat. This issue, with its focus on global cultures and cuisines—from tea in China to olives in Italy to potatoes in Peru to wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest—is about embracing a spirit of exploration and infusing our lives with the lessons we discover along the way. And, like every memorable meal, our TASTE OF TRAVEL issue has a surprise at the end. Flip the magazine over to find a special section that focuses on city secrets, weekend getaways, and adventurous escapes…

nat geo highlights

SEE ON TV On National Geographic Channel, catch series like Explorer, with globe-trotting host Phil Keoghan, and watch for the late July debut of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted, following the chef as he uncovers culinary secrets in Morocco, Laos, and more: channel.nationalgeographic.com . SUBSCRIBE NOW! We inspire our readers to explore the world with passion and purpose. For ideas about where to go next, subscribe to National Geographic Traveler at natgeotravel.com. 27% Your curiosity empowers our mission. Twenty-seven percent of our proceeds support the National Geographic Society’s work in exploration, education, and conservation. MANGIA, MANGIA With the book Tasting Italy, a collaboration between National Geographic and America’s Test Kitchen, you can tuck into all of the country’s regions, including Calabria (also in this issue on page 72).…

glimpse into the future

A collective of visionary thinkers is fusing technology and imagination to create boundary-breaking experiences at Tokyo’s teamLab Borderless, the world’s first digital art museum.Spread across more than 100,000 square feet in the Japanese capital’s Odaiba district, the space features some 50 installations that respond to visitors and generate immersive, dreamlike realms. In “Universe of Water Particles on a Rock where People Gather” (pictured), visitors enter a kaleidoscopic, light-filled space and position themselves under a virtual waterfall, altering its flow and changing the appearance of the artwork. As soon as they think they’ve grasped the vision, it transforms into something else.Another installation, “Wander through the Crystal World,” uses lights and mirrors to make museumgoers feel like they’re inside a color-morphing crystal.The teamLab collective, founded in 2001 by Toshiyuki Inoko and…

off the charts

Some of the planet’s most spectacular spots are also among the most isolated. For travelers who want to see charismatic wildlife and awe-inspiring scenery in places that are difficult to access—without sacrificing comfort or security—an adventure cruise is the way to go. Here are a few of our favorite departures. 1 Wild Waters On the National Geographic “Alaska’s Inside Passage” itinerary, travelers discover secluded coves using landing craft and kayaks, spot brown bears and orcas, and listen to humpback whale song over the ship’s hydrophone.The “Kimberley Ultimate” sailings with True North explore Australia’s extreme northwest, where adventures range from helicopter flights over colossal waterfalls and swims in jade-green billabongs to views of the oldest rock art on Earth. 2 Animal Attraction Trade a traditional land-only safari for…

road trip camargue, france

➤ Miles: 130 ● Days on the Road: 4 ● Sunset Spot: L’Étang de Grande Palun ● Top Souvenir: Camargue fleur de sel (sea salt) Galloping Camargue horses have come to symbolize the wild spirit of the region. Head to western Europe’s largest delta, where the Rhône River meets the Mediterranean Sea, and you’ll find a lesser known side of Provence. The Camargue spreads like a fan from the ancient Roman city of Arles, and in its folds lie green rice paddies, rose-colored salt flats, grass-filled marshes, and wide, windswept beaches. Nearly 400 species of birds call it home, as do prized black bulls and indigenous horses tended by gardians, the local cowboys who bolster the region’s wild-west reputation. “The Camargue is a mosaic of color, light,…

nice ice

“I’m all about getting people out on the ice,” says glaciologist M Jackson, a National Geographic 2017 emerging explorer and the author of the new book The Secret Lives of Glaciers. Of course, being on the ice can have its hazards. “Walk carefully,” she says. “Most people should use a local guide. And leave the vegetation intact—in years to come, that might be a thriving forest.” Here are three of Jackson’s favorite icy escapes for chills and thrills. 1 United States Accessible by road in the heart of Alaska’s rugged Kenai Fjords National Park, Exit Glacier acts as a real-time metric of glacial retreat. Interpretive signs detail the expanse where the ice once extended, leaving layers of forest, willow scrub, and loose moraine soil in its wake. The…