Innholdsfortegnelse for September/October 2019 i AFAR

Start with these 3 different trip options. People & Culture Head here to compare the modern and ancient Aussie lifestyles. • Sydney Do as the locals do and hit the beach to relax, then take a convict history tour of The Rocks. • Kimberley Region See the ancient rock art of Aboriginal people, who have been around for some 50,000 years. Icons & Wildlife Explore iconic sites in these amazing natural areas. • Great Barrier Reef Snorkel or dive to witness the colorful coral and fish; inland, hike the ancient Daintree Rainforest. • Uluru/Ayers Rock Marvel at this 1,100-foot sacred monolith at sunrise or as you dine under the stars. • Tasmania Add a trip here to explore dramatic national parks and luxurious eco-lodges. Food & Wine Combine cuisine with…

Jacqueline Winspear Writer Friends in High Places p.64 Ready to party: “In Crete one day, my friend and I found a little family-run restaurant. We stopped to get a drink. Next thing we knew, they’d dragged us into the family birthday party. We couldn’t speak a word of Greek, but it made their day to have two Englishwomen there who were game for it.” Essence of travel: “It’s about connecting with a place and growing as a person, those moments that you’ll have forever. Cameras and journals are great, but memories live on in your heart.” Find her: on Facebook @jacquelinewinspear Emma Hardy Photographer The Greatest Outdoors p.108 Sweet serendipity: “The Norwegian concept of friluftsliv (outdoor living) built on itself while I was in Norway. I saw kids swimming in…

Simply uttering the names of Tahiti and Bora Bora is enough to trigger visions of idyllic tropical serenity. And the best way to make those visions a reality is on board the m/s Paul Gauguin—the highest-rated and longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific, built specifically to navigate these waters. Come celebrate the cruise line’s 10th anniversary and discover your own bliss in French Polynesia. 1. Scenery You’ll cruise through turquoise lagoons and pass craggy volcanic islands covered with lush tropical foliage that cascades down to perfectly white sandy beaches. 2. People Happy locals make for happy travelers—and you’ll find Tahitians to be genuinely warm, welcoming, and excited to make connections. 3. Wildlife Clear water provides a window to life undersea. Catch sight of beautiful creatures like…

Whether you’re playing golf, having dinner, or just walking around, the shimmering Atlantic that surrounds Bermuda is a constant companion. Here’s how to enjoy. BEACHES. Bermuda’s famous stretches of pink sand are perfect for activities like swimming, catching sunsets, and doing yoga. See four gorgeous beaches by following the dramatic South Shore walking trail from world-famous Horseshoe Bay Beach to Warwick Long Bay Beach. WATER SPORTS. Get the adrenaline flowing with kite-boarding, jet-skiing, parasailing, fly-boarding, stand-up paddle-boarding, and kayaking. Snorkelers and scuba divers can look for 300-plus sunken vessels, as well as sea turtles and spotted eagle rays. BOATING. Anglers can sample some of the best deepsea fishing in the Atlantic while casting for marlin, blue-fin tuna, and wahoo. You can also go sailing—a favorite local tradition—or go out for…

The fluidity of Tokyo's identity is one of the city's most remarkable facets to behold. Countless neighborhoods are continually evolving in unexpected and compelling ways, and this is particularly apparent in their relationship with contemporary art. Serial entrepreneur and artist Masamichi Toyama, who is deeply connected to the artistic heart of the city, offered his recommendations to travelers who are interested in getting the most out of Tokyo's vast arts scene, or who simply want to enjoy memorable settings buoyed by talented artists bath on and under the radar. According to Toyama, what makes Tokyo's art scene so fascinating and enjoyable for visitors is how every neighborhood has its own unique mode of expression and story to tell. But when it cornes to viewing a wide variety of art in…

TRIED, TESTED AND PERFECTED… South America is a melting pot of unique culture, epic food and formidable wildlife. Nature rules the roost here and the locals know best, so you need to travel with the experts. We’ve walked the talk (literally) and spent endless hours exploring and finessing our trips. With over 20 years’ experience under our belt, you can tell the difference. So, pick up the phone and leave the rest to us – with extraordinary trips to Patagonia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and the Galapagos, we’ve got this. ActiveAdventures.com/South-America • 800.661.9073 CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF ADVENTURE IN 2019 Join OARS for a small-group active adventure and explore the most spectacular natural landscapes on earth. OARS offers guided river trips, hiking and multi-sport experiences from 1/2-day escapes to 28-day expeditions…

IT HAS BEEN six months of anticipation, alternating between excitement and dread, but when I receive my Spin the Globe assignment, I’m ecstatic: MADRID. “Maybe you’ll see Ferdinand!” says my six-year-old, referring to the pacifist bull from Munro Leaf’s famous picture book, the one who likes to “sit just quietly and smell the flowers.” Within minutes I’m flooded with recommendations from my friends on Facebook: This museum, that market, best churros con chocolate at this café! Don’t miss the Goyas, the pulpo (octopus), the Iberian pork, and go find Tío Pepe…. I ride this tidal wave of enthusiasm, but part of me soon wonders if I would’ve been better off just winging it. Spontaneity is romantic, fun, adventurous—at least, that’s what I recall. But it has been 18 years since…

GERMAN PHOTOGRAPHER AND filmmaker Kirstin Schmitt finds artistic inspiration in people’s everyday lives. “I want to figure out who people are,” says Schmitt, who splits her time between Havana and Berlin. “By getting to know them, I understand their passions.” Through a friend, she began spending time among people in Havana’s LGBTQ and drag communities, Cubans who have only recently been able to live their lives more openly, though they still face discrimination and a culture of machismo. Their lives are documented by Schmitt and her husband, Cuban photographer Juan Aristides Otamendiz, in the project “Arroz Con Mango—The New Men.” Schmitt’s images capture the moments beyond the stage and at home, as in the shot above, which features the performer Haila preparing for a midnight gig at Cabaret Las Vegas…

ON A RECENT FLIGHT to Philadelphia, I was feeling glum: It was my third business trip in as many weeks, and I’d been missing my family since the minute I left my house. I was also sick. But when I landed in Philadelphia, I made a conscious decision to try to enjoy myself. On a whim I went for dinner at Zahav, recently deemed the best restaurant in the United States by the James Beard Foundation. What followed was a spectacular meal of Israeli small plates: fried cauliflower with labneh and mint, fresh hummus served with wood-fired laffa bread, and a beef kebab that I’m still thinking about today. As my food arrived, I started talking to the woman next to me, who, it turned out, was also in Philadelphia…

LIFE IS BETTER IN THE BLUEGRASS Sipping a handcrafted bourbon. Watching a graceful Thoroughbred race down the homestretch. Spending a day on the lake or venturing below-ground for exploration of “Mammoth” proportions. These are a few of the things that make us happy – and they’re all waiting for you in Kentucky. This is, after all, a state where the thunder of hooves is almost a religion. Lexington is known as the “Horse Capital of the World” due to its rolling hills and countless farms where stallions gallop and breeders raise the next champion. The iconic Kentucky Derby runs on the first Saturday in May before a colossal crowd at famed Churchill Downs in Louisville. Then there is bourbon. Kentucky is the prime producer of this internationally adored corn-based whiskey,…

Create Better Travel Memories Meik Wiking is an author and the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, a think tank based in Copenhagen. His newest book, The Art of Making Memories: How to Create and Remember Happy Moments (HarperCollins), is due out October 1. He shared his tips for cultivating joy while on the road and after you’ve returned home.—Lyndsey Matthews 1. Go to a new place every year “Travel is about being brought out of your routine,” Wiking says. “It’s experiencing new things, new culture, new food, new people. And that’s the quick route to [making] memories: novel experiences. There’s nothing wrong with going back to the same place over and over again. But if we want a trip to stand out and be memorable, we have to seek…

Travel experiences are more fulfilling when you walk away with a deeper understanding of a destination. That’s why AFAR has partnered with Context Travel—to help you access richer travel experiences. Context’s private tours are run by true experts in their fields; they’re not just locals, but also architects, art historians, tea masters, chefs, and more. And in over 60 global cities—from Rome to Tokyo and beyond—these knowledgeable experts will immerse you in their worlds, whether it’s a two-hour stroll or several days of adventure. Check out these highlights from some of our favorite tours: Rome Caravaggio Tour Get the real story behind this controversial baroque painter—and understand the influence his work has had. Tour with an art historian as you examine Caravaggio’s legacy in the places for which the art…

THIS ISSUE MARKS the 10th anniversary of AFAR. It is a humbling and gratifying occasion for us. When we started AFAR, the world was in the midst of the Great Recession. People weren’t traveling. Businesses weren’t opening. And that went double—OK, quintuple—for print magazines. But we were committed to the idea that travel, when undertaken with an open mind and heart, could enrich people’s lives. And that the more people traveled this way, the better off the world would be. If we could be the voice and inspiration for this mind-set, this way of travel—what a great thing to do with our lives. Thankfully, due to an incredible team of people here at AFAR, the support of many partners, and you, our readership of discerning, global-citizen travelers, we have found…

1. Santa Clara 1728 Lisbon, Portugal The six suites that occupy an 18thcentury residence in Lisbon’s old cultural quarter have linen curtains, gleaming white subway tiles, soothing gray walls, natural wood furnishings, and precious little else except peace and quiet. A communal dining table fosters intimate conversation among guests, and an interior garden offers a fine meditation space, perfect for reflecting on the well-loved landmarks—such as Santa Engrácia Church—that lie just minutes beyond the front door. From $451. silentliving.pt 2. Kudadoo Maldives Private Island by Hurawalhi Maldives Opened in the Lhaviyani Atoll last December, this all-inclusive eco resort, with airy rooms framed by warm-toned woods, has 15 Japanese-inspired overwater villas, plus a bi-level spa and a restaurant. If the endless Indian Ocean vistas and un-crowded serenity don’t offer quite enough…

In her new book The Atlas of Happiness: The Global Secrets of How to Be Happy, U.K.-born, Denmark-based author Helen Russell takes readers on a round-the-world trip—not to the usual tourist attractions but through distinct concepts of happiness that have evolved in 30 countries. She illustrates each via locals’ personal experiences. Here, Russell walks us through five of the book’s lesser-known—and often misunderstood—happiness ideologies, with practical advice for channeling them on your next trip. 1. Azart What it is: “Russia is a tough, cold place, so Russians grab at happiness with both hands,” Russell says. Azart (or “ardor”) is the burning urge to lunge at everything life throws your way, no matter the consequences. How to find it: “[In Russia] there’s this idea that you’re seeking heat all the time,”…

Peru invites you to rediscover the concept of wealth. One where being rich isn't about having the most, but about experiencing the most unforgettable moments. Cusco, the Empire of the Senses The capital of the Inca empire is nowadays, at all levels, a first-class experience. Hotels located in monasteries or stately homes of Colonial times, restaurants that produce the best gastro in the world, boutique hotels in the Sacred Valley with all the modern comforts; or a train to Machu Picchu which recreates the comfort of the best European trains. Surely not even the Inca rulers could have imagined the luxury their dominions would have. Explore the riches of the Andean Baroque art Admire impressive gold leaf altarpieces, sculptures, murais and canvases in a cultural route of 4 colonial temples,…

IT’S BACK: AFAR PHOTO AWARDS PRESENTED BY UNITED MILEAGEPLUS The AFAR Photo Awards are back by popular demand! AFAR, in partnership with United MileagePlus, invites you to submit your best photography from around the world in five distinct categories: People, Culture, Cities, Outdoors, and Style & Design. Enter now for a chance to win United Polaris business class tickets, cash prizes, and more! afar.com/photoawards NORTH AMERICA’S ONLY AUTHENTIC DESERT OASIS You don’t come to Death Valley because abundant life flourishes here. That’s why a Four Diamond resort in the middle of it is so special. Join us to experience two unique hotels in one amazing location. oasisatdeathvalley.com Our Travel Happiness Survey Results Are In! We recently asked you, our traveling community, to help us understand what it is about travel…

10 YERAS OF EMBRACING THE WORLD WHEN AFAR FOUNDERS Greg Sullivan and Joe Diaz tell the story of AFAR’s birth, it always starts in India in 2007. The friends had been traveling there for weeks, exploring the country without set plans, meeting entrepreneurs, artists, and even gurus. One day toward the end of their trip, Sullivan and Diaz were kicking back on a beach in Goa, drinking Kingfisher beer, thinking about everyone they’d met, when the idea came to them. What if they started a travel media company for travelers who embraced local culture and the realities of travel? “We wanted to avoid the supermodel on the elephant on the deserted beach vibe,” Diaz says. “That’s a fantasy. We wanted to do something that spoke to seeing and celebrating the…

At the charmingly ramshackle farmhouse in northern Norway where Roddie and Lindis Sloan live with their three children and a dog named Stella Bente Svendsen, a burst of unexpectedly warm weather has given everything the slightly giddy feel of a holiday. It’s late May, and we can sit outside to drink our tea in the morning and dig into grilled meats in the evening. At certain hours of the day, the sun makes the mountains appear to glow, and the Arctic light lends everything a startling clarity. It is, in many ways, the archetypal Nordic summer scene. Which is exactly as I want it, since I’ve come here in hopes of figuring out whether all I’ve heard about one very Norwegian concept, friluftsliv, is true. Scandinavians have a special relationship…

As our boat floated in the Gulf of Thailand, a scratchy voice over the radio alerted our captain that divers had seen an endangered whale shark nearby. On deck, the energy was palpable. Even the instructors, tanned and perpetually sandy, were giddy. My hair whipped around my face as the boat sped toward the Green Rock dive site where the shark had been. Hands shaking, I fastened my vest to the air tank and defogged my mask. We were on the last dive of our last day—no way was I going to let foggy goggles ruin this. A week before, my sister and I had arrived to get scuba certified on the island of Koh Tao, about 250 miles south of Bangkok. From the get-go, our instructor warned us that…