Table of contents for April/May 2023 in Wanderlust

There is no escaping it: more and more people are catching the travel bug. This highly contagious virus has been given a boost over the last three decades by cheaper flights, self-styled accommodation, mega cruise ships and the advent of social media. While we love welcoming new people to our community of passionate travellers, we’re aware that many sites - natural and cultural - and the communities that live alongside them are bearing the weight of our desire for travel. Mention places such as Barcelona, Amsterdam, Venice or even reader-favourite Machu Picchu now, and the word ’overtourism’ is the first one that springs to mind. Wanderlust has championed responsible travel since its founding, 30 years ago. We’ve tried to encourage taking the road less travelled, making fewer yet longer and…

Wanderlust - How to Travel Guilt Free: Essential Tips for Ethical Travellers By Hazel Plush/Wanderlust Wanderlust Publications, £10 If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the abundance of advice around sustainable travel, this easy-to-digest read cuts through the noise to provide 100 actionable tips. From planning and getting around to finding immersive experiences, there’s plenty to ponder, no matter where you’re travelling - even if we do say so ourselves. Learn which destinations have adopted eco-conscious measures, how to pack wisely, when to haggle and even how to purify drinking water while you’re on the move. Sustainable Travel The Essential Guide to Positive-Impact Adventures By Holly Tuppen White Lion Publishing, £18 “It’s evident that… sustainable travel is a journey,” explains ethical travel expert Holly. ”It’s not something we are going…

Komboloi These strings of glass beads began as prayer counters for the monks of Mount Athos, then evolved over time into a kind of worry bead. You see them sold all over Athens, but head to Kombologadiko Exclusive (kombologadiko.gr) in Kolonaki to watch them being made. Leather sandals In the 1920s, Pandrossou street was known as Athens’ shoemaking area; now Olgianna Melissinos (melissinos-sandals.gr) is carrying on the legacy of her grandfather, one of the area’s original tenants, in her shop selling handmade sandals on nearby Normanou street. Ceramics Get your hands around some clay at the Pottery Museum (potterymuseum.gr) in Kerameikos - the old potters’ quarter - to learn ancient sculpting techniques, or drop by the Mon Coin Studio (moncoinstudio.com) for contemporary pieces. Olive oil soap Almost every scent of…

Few stays can match the illustrious history of Morocco’s La Mamounia, which lies tucked within the Red City. Built by the Moroccan Railway Company, it first opened its doors in Marrakech in 1923, combining traditional local architecture with the Art Deco style that swept the era. Since then, the hotel has never struggled to retain its allure, and it has a guestbook filled with distinguished names from the last ten decades to prove it. Part of La Mamounia’s appeal is its setting. Nestled among eight hectares of landscaped gardens and scattered with hundreds of olive, orange, palm and lemon trees, it feels like an oasis of tranquillity but lies just a few minutes’ walk south-west of the high-spirited Djemaa el Fna square.The building also features many architectural showpieces in its…

The trip: The author travelled with support from Wild Frontiers (wildfrontierstravel.com), which offers itineraries that include Laikipia Wilderness Camp. Kenyabased tour operator African Experts (african-experts.com) handled all in-country logistics. Visas: Required by UK nationals prior to travel; these are available online (http://evisa.go.ke/evisa.html). At the time of writing, proof of Covid-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test was also needed. Health: Preventative medication for malaria is advised for travellers. What to pack: The camp sits at 1,600m and can be chilly in the early morning and late evening, so pack some warm clothing. GeRing there: To reach the camp from Nairobi, it is a five-hour drive, or take a 40-minute local flight from Wilson Airport to Nanyuki (40 mins); from there it is two hours by road transfer. Where to stay:…

Location: Louisiana’s Poverty Point is a two-hour drive from Jackson International Airport. The Tennessee side of Great Smoky Mountains NP is a three-hour drive from Nashville International Airport. Mammoth Cave NP, Kentucky, is a 1.5-hour drive from Nashville International Airport. Cahokia Mounds is just 25 minutes from St Louis. Wisconsin’s Taliesin, the main Frank Lloyd Wright site, is around three hour’s drive from Chicago International Airport. Getting around: Hire a car and hit the Great River Road; it runs 5,000km from the Mississippi River’s source in Minnesota to the Louisiana coast. Accommodation: For Poverty Point try Black Bear Lodge (lastateparks.com); Great Smoky Mountains NP’s Le Conte Lodge (lecontelodge.com) is reached via an 8km hike; the lodge (mammothcavelodge.com) beside the Mammoth Cave NP visitor centre is ideal for overnight trips; the…

Escape the city. Hike north of Las Canteras and you will soon see the urban trappings of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria dissolve. Playa del Confital tempts surfers, walkers and clothing-optional bathers alike. There are grand rock formations to ramble, a natural volcanic pool to swim in and viewpoints that open up a wild oasis on the fringes of the city. Savour the kind of tapes and pintxos more common to Andalucía and the Basque Country at Las Palmas’ Mercado del Puerto. A flurry of wee bars and stalls attract the locals to this graceful market for lunch with a Canarian twist. Don’t miss the fried goat’s cheese spiced with fiery mojo (pepper sauce) or local favourite - rabbit. Swim in style at Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s Parque Maritime) César…

CHANDIGARH CARNIVAL This three-day event is heid every year in either the last week of November or the first week of December at Leisure Valley (Sector 10B). Check out the free and ticketed programme of live folk performances, music, theatre, art exhibitions and parades featuring elaborate floats. There’s incredible food to replenish your energy and even a small amusement park. ROSE FESTIVAL Roses have held a special place in India’s culture for centuries, serving both religious and medicinal purposes. This festival, held over three days in February at Zakir Hussain Rose Garden (Sector 16), is filled with artful displays of hundreds of varieties of roses, from classic hybrids to modern cultivars. Food stalls, light and sound shows, photography competitions and folk-music performances are all part of the festival. MANGO FESTIVAL…

KATE HUMBLE Dispatches, p68 TV presenter Kate Humble heads to Kenya and glimpses one of Africa’s rarest animals: ”The natural world always has the capacity to delight, and I knew that returning to Laikipia Wilderness Camp would bring unforgettable experiences, thanks to the local guides’ passion and knowledge of the region. But the encounters that I had this time will stay with me for the rest of my life.” POONAM BINAYAK Urban Spotlight, p198 Poonam visits Chandigarh this issue and discovers a city unlike any other in India: ”With its pedestrian-friendly sectors and tree-lined boulevards, I was amazed by how organised everything was. The ’City Beautiful’, as its known, even has a sculpture garden unlike any that I’ve encountered - it is entirely made of trash! Chandigarh is a world…

IN PRAISE OF JUDGES I am writing to say that I went through all the photographs of the Photo of the Year finalists (pictured below), carefully choosing my personal favourites, and I have concluded that the judges did a superb job, as they agreed 100% with my selections! The winners in each category stand head and shoulders above the others. Congratulations to all the finalists and many thanks to the judges. Ivor INSIDE TIPS I have been reading Wanderlust for a number of years now, and an annual highlight for me is the Travel Photo of the Year competition - this year even more so, as I was able to see the judges talk about why they chose the images they did at the Destinations travel show in London. While…

The National Portrait Gallery (pictured) in London has been sorely missed since it closed for renovation nearly three years ago, but art lovers now finally have reason to rejoice. Set to reopen on 22 June, nine of its galleries have been refurbished, the East Wing has been redeveloped and a new Learning Centre added. Alongside the permanent collection, four major exhibitions will include prints by pioneering female photographer Yevonde and work by David Hockney. npg.org.uk Titanic Belfast first opened in 2012 to mark a century since the sinking of the infamous ship. However, at the beginning of this year, the museum underwent a multi-million-pound refresh - the biggest project since it opened. As well as four additional galleries, its new visitor experience, named The Pursuit of Dreams, includes immersive light-and-sound installations…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH Readers get 10% off by using the code ‘Wandering’ on the Stanfords website: www.stanfords.co.uk. Wanderlust members can get 25% off-see p48 In the Shadow of the Mountain by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado Winner of the Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year 2023 Henry Holt and Co; £16 As the first openly gay woman to climb the highest peaks on every continent, Silvia recounts how the sport offered her freedom from the traumas and confusion of her youth in this impassioned memoir, and what it was like to lead a group of female survivors of abuse, who had never climbed before, to the Base Camp of Everest. The Earth Transformed: An Untold History by Peter Frankopan Bloomsbury; £30 One of the UK’s leading historians makes the argument that the…

The Wanderlust Club has a great range of exclusive offers, competitions and events for our members - here are just a few. Already a member? Head to wanderlustmagazine.com/your-wanderlust to find out more. 25% or 15% OFF! Purchases on the Stanfords website Stanfords, the UK’s leading specialist retailer of maps, travel books and accessories, has been beloved by explorers and keen travellers since 1853. Members can get 25% off all purchases of the books featured in ’Read This’ (p45) and 15% off any other purchases from the Stanfords website. WIN! A copy of Wild Guide: Greece Are you dreaming of Greece? Do you long to wild camp on its secret beaches, discover cliff-side monasteries, snorkel through submerged ancient ruins and trek plunging canyons? Then Wild Guide: Greece (Wild Things Publishing) is…

1 Timgad The ruins of Roman Timgad, or Marciana Trajana, were home to some 15,000 people at their zenith, which was between the 1st and 5th centuries AD. 2 Tassili N'Ajjer National Park In south-east Algeria lies a wild part of the Sahara that is filled with sculpted rocks and pinnacles amid reddish sands. Worth a trip to see the rock art. 3 Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania This mausoleum, near Tipaza, is shaped like a bronzed cupcake and dates back to 3 BC. It is thought to have been the tomb of Numidian king Juba II and his queen, Cleopatra Selene. 4 Tipaza Another Roman treasure. This large coastal city, west of Algiers, was a Punic trading post that was conquered by Rome and later fortified by Emperor Claudius. 5 Jardin…

1 Watch the annual whale migrations Because of the crossover of migrations north from Antarctica and south from the North Atlantic, whales can be seen most of the year here, particularly on the Pacific side and around the Osa Peninsula. 2 Spent time at Finca Luna Nueva This rainforest lodge (fincalunanuevalodge.com) aims to teach visitors about the relationship between nature and people; its garden tours are a great place to start. 3 Kayak mangroves in the Osa Peninsula Kayaking tours of the PreciosaPlatanares Wildlife Refuge, a protected area that covers parts of the Osa Peninsula and the Golfo Dulce, is where you can see six of the country’s eight mangrove species as well as encounter the odd croc. 4 See nesting turtles Nesting season for turtles around Tortuguero is staggered…

Forget any anachronistic images about Tenerife and Gran Canaria you have. Let your mind drift off instead to two intoxicating capital cities set adrift in the deep Atlantic of Macaronesia, part of an archipelago of big skies, cobalt ocean, soaring volcanoes and sweeping beaches; a land where it seems to be springtime year-round. Life in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife dates back over two millennia, to when the Canary Islands were inhabited by the Indigenous Guanche people. Much later came the Spanish, who conquered the archipelago in the 1400s and changed life here forever. By the 19 th century, Santa Cruz was the capital of the Canaries and one of Europe’s most important ports; by 1927, this capital status was shared with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, whose…

Getting there Travellers typically arrive in Chandigarh via Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Air India (airindia.in), British Airways (ba.com), Virgin Atlantic (virginatlantic.com) and Vistara (airvistara.com) ail offer daily non-stop flights from London Heathrow to Delhi, taking around nine hours and costing from £602 return. From there, hour-long connections to Chandigarh’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport are available on Alliance Air (allianceair.in) and Vistara (airvistara.com). Carbon calculator A return flight from London to Chandigarh via Delhi produces around 610kg of carbon per passenger. Wanderlust encourages you to offset your travel footprint through a reputable provider. For advice on how to find one, visit wanderlust.co.uk/sustainable-travel. By train You can also go pa8rt of the way by rail. The newly launched Vande Bharat Express (No 22447) is a semi-high- speed train that links…

DETOUR to Lammas Ecovillage (lammas.org.uk). Named after the Celtic festival of harvest, Lammas is a collection of 15 smallholdings representing different ways to live sustainably and off the grid. Saturday tours (£10 per adult; Apr-Oct) explore the community and its mosaic of ecosystems, passing turf-built dwellings, woodlands and more. SAIL towards the Pembrokeshire Islands. These isles are known for their diverse wildlife, including leaping porpoises and myriad seabirds. The two-hour Islands Voyage cruise (ramseyisland.co.uk; £60pp; Apr-Oct) passes rock gorges, sea caves and the Bishops and Clerks Rocks. It is best to book in advance. HIKE to Carn Llidi. The walk begins at the Whitesands car park and passes bushes of yellow gorse, a promontory, and the site where St Patrick’s Chapel used to stand. Continue inland and uphill, hiking towards…

“My girlfriend and I always look for unique things, like this rainbow (LGBTQ+ colours) in Stockholm’s underground.” Caroline Soons “The Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto has thousands of torii gates, making it feel like you are walking under a canopy.” @premkan “ Plov is Uzbekistan’s national dish (often served with lamb), and Tashkent’s cooking pits are a real spectacle.” Nigel Branscombe “I spotted this whitetip reef shark cruising the beautiful coral reefs of Sipadan island, off Malaysian Borneo.” @floodedcamera “I watched this fishing fleet return to the busy Senegalese port of M’bour and start unloading their catch.” Andrew Oldham “Andorra’s Mirador Roc del Quer is made all the more special by ‘The Ponderer’.” @janina_stromfield_photography “Atop the Rock of Gibraltar you are met by Barbary macaques - the only place in Europe…

Situated in the heart of Charleston’s French Quarter, The Palmetto (pictured top) is a new 45-room boutique stay with a charming vintage streak. Decorated with historic photographs and antiques, the property prides itself on its authentic Charleston experience and lies within touching distance of the city’s eateries, museums and parks. palmettohotelcharleston.com Restored to its former glory, the iconic Carlton Cannes is once again rolling out the red carpet for guests. This old stager is considered a grande dame on the French Riviera hotel circuit, and has the magnificent Belle Epoque frontage to back up such claims. Now that its rooms and interior have been thoroughly updated, guests can cheerfully return to styling it out in the longest infinity pool in Cannes, ihg.com Want to make a positive impact on your travels?…

The spring series of the popular Wanderlust: Off the Page podcast is now underway. Listen in for insights into some of the recent features in the magazine, including the 2023 Wanderlust Hot List, a journey through the states of the USA’s Pacific Northwest and an Arctic rail odyssey that heads deep into the Nordic countries. We’ll also be taking a road trip through Louisiana, getting some expert ideas for exploring Croatia off the beaten track and finding out more about Tobago’s sizzling festivals, culture and nature. And if that’s not enough travel inspiration for you, check out the new podcast from wildlife photographers, writers and broadcasters Jonathan and Angie Scott, who became household names on the BBC TV series Big Cat Diaries, which introduced us to the daily dramas of…

1 BAGS Balcony awnings of every colour make the streets of Athens look like a rainbow; however, any leftover fabric from when these awnings are fitted goes straight into landfills. Since 2015, circular fashion brand 3QUARTERS (3quarters.design) have salvaged about three tonnes of the stuff, slicing and stitching it into stylish handbags, backpacks and yoga bags. Visit their Monastiraki store to browse new creations. 2 FURNITURE Heirloom furniture is found in many Athenian households, and the talented carpenters at Rokani (rokani.gr) are breathing new life into old wood. They take furniture that has been thrown out, then deconstruct it, sand down the raw material and upcycle it into something both affordable and aesthetically pleasing. 3 BEACH GEAR Bunches of dead Posidonia oceanica seagrass wash up on the Athens Riviera daily and are usually…

Germans have teatime too, but they call it kaffee und kuchen (coffee and cake), a social ritual for friends and family usually taken at 3pm. Many a café will have a special deal, pairing the likes of mohn (poppyseed) cake, Black Forest gateau, cheesecake, butterkuchen and marmorkuchen (a chocolate and vanilla marble cake) with fresh coffee. If you’d prefer tea, ask for East Frisian; it is aromatic and usually served in delicate chinaware. WANDERLUST RECOMMENDS Deutsche Welle’s ’Meet the Germans’ series has a compact guide to typical German food, youtube.com/watch?v=rURdtPWHglo…

Visas: Not required by UK, EU or US nationals prior to travel. Getting there: Asunción is not well served by international flights. Connections via Madrid (Air Europa; aireuropa.com), São Paolo, Santiago de Chile or Buenos Aires are the quickest, albeit expensive, ways to reach the country from Europe/North America. Cost (and ease) of travel: Paraguay is a very reasonably priced destination, and cheaper than neighbouring Brazil or Argentina. It is also generally safe, except for parts of downtown Asuncion at night. Where to stay: Asuncion has a number of good hotels, including the Jesuit missionthemed La Misión Hotel Boutique (lamision.com.py). Outside of Asunción, accommodation and restaurants are in short supply and are of low quality. Hotel Papillion (papillon.com.py), located close to both Santísima Trinidad del Paraná and Jesús de Tavarangüe,…

TREK THE CLOUD FOREST OF LAOS Part of travelling sustainably is avoiding those places that are already creaking under the weight of tourism. Consequendy, InsideAsia’s rugged Trekking the Cloud Forests of Laos tour eschews the beaten track for the raw, remote jungle of Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park, taking a five-day trek into one of the largest wilderness areas in Laos. Its difficult location means few make it this deep into the jungle, and guests will have the rare opportunity to stay with remote Khmu communities, who receive a portion of the profits from the trip. It’s about as far off-grid as it gets, as you explore waterfall-striped forests where elephants, gibbons, clouded leopards and sun bears roam freely, embark on a trip to summit Phou Louey mountain (2,257m), camp…

1 The Parenzana Trail The old narrow-gauge railway dates from the time of the Habsburgs; these days it makes for an intriguing and spectacular cycle route that unravels the history of an area that has been sculpted by empires across the ages. 2 Grožnjan A well-preserved medieval hill village that was deserted by its Italian-lstrian population after the Second World War but was colonised by artists in the 1960s and incomers from across Yugoslavia. It puts on a big jazz festival in July. 3 Motovun This castle-crowned hill town has a spectacular circular walk that runs around its ramparts, and you will discover wine and truffle tastings galore. The town also holds an annual film festival in July. 4 Poreč This historic town and port has an old quarter with a rich atmosphere and…

International dialling code: +34 Currency: Euro (€) Getting there: Easy Jet (easyjet.com) flies to both Tenerife and Gran Canaria from multiple UK cities, taking between four and five hours; flights cost from around £39 return. The direct Armas (navieraarmas.com) fast ferry between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife takes one hour and 40 minutes and costs from £18.50 return. Getting around: Both Las Palmas and Santa Cruz have reliable and affordable bus services that also serve their airports, though both centres are increasingly pedestrian-friendly too. Santa Cruz also has a tram network that connects the city centre with the nearby UNESCO-listed city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Weather: The famed ‘eternal spring’ weather tag holds weight. Even when the mercury rises in summer, there is…

Chandigarh is the joint capital of the agrarian northern Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. Following the bifurcation of Punjab in the mid-1960s, the city, situated at the border of Punjab and Haryana, was designated as a union territory, serving as the capital for both states. Another curious fact is that during the construction of Chandigarh, Le Corbusier omitted Sector 13 from his plans because he considered the number to be inauspicious. However, in 2020, more than a half-century after its construction. Sector 13 was added to the union territory, with residential hub Mani Majra receiving the coveted designation.…

Like so many before me, I was drawn to St Davids - on Pembrokeshire’s westernmost tip - by tales of its saints and its history; in particular, the purple-hued cathedral that once made this a bustling centre for medieval pilgrims. Back in the 12th century, it was decreed by Pope Callixtus II that two pilgrimages to St Davids were worth the equivalent of a single journey to Rome; three, it was said, were equal to visiting Jerusalem. Even back then, this tiny Welsh city had a knack for offering up low-carbon alternatives. Those in search of examples of the area’s centuries of unwavering religious commitment will find no shortage. The patron saint of Wales, St David (Dewi Sant), is a big deal to us Walians, and it was here that…