Innholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2023 i Wanderlust

This past summer has been challenging for many people around the world. While traditionally considered the high season for much of the Northern Hemisphere, climate change is shifting perceptions of when and how we should travel. Record temperatures and devastating wildfires – from Canada and Hawaii to much of the Mediterranean – have destroyed swathes of nature, wreaking havoc on livelihoods and, less crucially, impacting travel plans. We're hoping that autumn, with its milder weather and fewer crowds, will yield less dramatic news and afford plenty of opportunities to get back out there. The weather, despite its climate change-induced unpredictability, is one of the reasons Wanderlust recommends the USA and Canada as two of the best places to visit at this time of year (p114). Nature's unrivalled palette delivers a…

What happened? On 10 July, a fissure opened within Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcanic complex, which had seen two eruptions since 2021. Fountains of 1,100ºC lava gushed skywards from the Litli-Hrútur hillside and a blackened cone began rising within days. Initially, sulphur-dioxide gas and moorland fires made the area dangerous to approach, so, after arriving within 72 hours of the eruption, I waited several days for access to be declared safe. How to see it: Local authorities created a 20km round-trip path to a viewing site that ran from a new car park at Suðurstrandarvegur, 35km from Reykjavik, and crossed rough, flattish terrain. I followed hundreds of locals and tourists in walking to within 1.5km of the emerging cone, where emergency services prohibited closer access. The volcano spat lava in two flaming…

FAIRMONT CHÂTEAU LAKE LOUISE This hulking, 539-room hotel commands one of Canada's knockout locations: on the edge of the Rockies’ most famous lake, with a horizon filled by spiky summits. In winter, you can even walk out of the door, strap on your skates and glide straight out onto the ice. And while the building looks curiously incongruous in this setting – more Las Vegas casino than mountain hotel – there's no denying the luxury level or the grandstand mountain view from the rooms. There are several restaurants to choose from, as well as an impressive spa, and staff can arrange activities ranging from canoeing to horseback treks. A new wellness centre is also in the works. Rooms from around £210 per night, excluding breakfast; fairmont.com/lake-louise KANANASKIS MOUNTAIN LODGE A…

Angharad encouraged me to stick my nose deep into the barrel. “Go on,” she smiled, “give it a good sniff. The Madeira wine one is my favourite.” Somewhat fazed, I obliged and inhaled deeply while she talked the rest of the group through the process of using old bourbon and sherry casks to mature post-fermentation whisky. “I was always a brandy girl, but I've come to appreciate the complexity of whisky,” she told me as we headed to the tasting room for the end of our visit. I had joined the distillery tour at Penderyn in Llandudno just days after Welsh whisky was awarded Protected Geographical Indication (UK GI) status – a recognition of its all-Welsh operation. It came as a revelation to me. After all, I'd visited North Wales…

Lisbon's museums, which number more than 60 if you count even the tiniest of them, let you bathe in Portugal's history and culture. Some lie along the quays of the lagoon-like Tagus estuary, others scatter the city's hilly neighbourhoods. History-minded visitors will, at some stage, find themselves at the water's edge in Belém, the perfect spot to take the pulse of the Age of Discovery, a time when Portugal shaped the world. It was from here that the caravels set sail, and the district is now studded with the trappings of Empire, such as the Jerónimos monastery, as well as an eclectic array of museums, including the Berardo Collection and the horse-drawn carriages of the National Coach Museum. The exploration-inspired Museum of the Orient is also just a stroll along…

France's wine capital becomes more irresistible every year. Between its culture, history and food, Bordeaux balances all the ingredients that make a city appealing. Its surrounding vineyards produce some of the world's top wines, while gastronomic inspiration comes not only from the nearby coast but also from high-quality beef and south-west France's delicious duck and goose dishes. But it is how the city brings these elements together that is so exciting. You can see the restaurants’ ingredients on display just south of the city centre in Bordeaux's biggest food market, Marché des Capucins. Then head north to see how Bordeaux transformed its old maritime district, Bassins à Flot, into a gleaming, cosmopolitan neighbourhood that holds several of the city's most fascinating sights. Obviously, the Cité du Vin, the city's impressive…

The view of our cosmos has been enjoyed by humans for tens of thousands of years, inspiring great works of music, literature and art. But while the romance of a starry night is undeniable, light pollution is a growing problem that has already erased the stars from many city skies. The German Research Centre for Geosciences recently found that light pollution is increasing by 10% every year, putting ecosystems, wildlife, human health and the sight of the stars under threat. This trend is a worrying one, but there are still plenty of havens for stargazers. Many people now travel to see and experience the natural wonders of the night. The British Isles is no different. It offers plenty of opportunities to indulge in some stargazing, with 20 of its dark-sky…

Eastern promise There's good news for fans of the golden age of rail. The muchmissed Eastern & Oriental Express restarts in February 2024 with two new routes across Malaysia. The luxury rail journey was suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic, but it returns to the tracks with refreshed interiors and a pair of seasonal threenight journeys, each beginning in Singapore. The ‘Essence of Malaysia’ route (Feb, Nov & Dec) chugs through Kuala Lumpur, Alor Setar and Langkawi, with an overwater detour to Pulau Payar Marine Park. Alternatively, the ‘Wild Malaysia’ trip (Mar–Oct) weaves its way to Merapoh and Taman Negara NP, home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world. belmond.com Regenerating the reef Reef recovery dives, citizen science projects and visits to a coral ‘biobank’ are among…

“On any scorecard, nature is losing.” It's hard to argue with Kris Tompkins on this one, although after watching the indefatigable star of new documentary Wild Life (Disney+), you'll be reluctant to disagree with her on anything. She and her husband, the late Doug Tompkins – co-founder of the North Face and Esprit brands – were behind the conservation project to buy over a million hectares of raw Chilean wilderness before gifting it back to the country in the shape of the Pumalín Douglas Tompkins National Park, among other eco-projects. The film intercuts the Tompkins’ plan – complete with shots of that remarkable terrain – with both the story of their entrepreneurial decades and Kris’ trek to Pumalín's highest point in her search for closure following Doug's tragic passing. The…

Nikkei cuisine, which derives from the word ‘Nikkeijin’, meaning the ‘Japanese diaspora’, is history captured in food. Immigrants from Japan began arriving in Peru from the late 19th century onwards seeking work and a new life. They brought with them their cooking methods and a love of seafood and umami flavours, and slowly adapted Peruvian food and ingredients to suit their tastes. The result is a fusion cuisine now gaining worldwide recognition, thanks to pioneers such as Nobu Matsuhisa and Mitsuharu Tsumura. It's no wonder that Peru's restaurants recently dominated the top end of the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. Nikkei cuisine has played a big role in this newfound interest, with its zesty, fresh, seafood-rich dishes. Combining miso, dashi and soy sauce – staples of Japanese cuisine – with…

Win a 9-day Galápagos Island expedition with Hurtigruten Expeditions A once-in-a-lifetime trip for two following in the footsteps of Charles Darwin. Experience close encounters with the Galápagos Islands’ most famous residents, including sea lions, turtles, marine iguanas, giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies. Flights included. Win a 7-day Highlights of Jordan group tour with Exodus Travels Ever dreamed of seeing the Rose Red City of Petra? Visit this and all the top sites of Jordan on a week-long adventure for two, including flights. Win a rail odyssey aboard the USA's Rocky Mountaineer train with First Class Holidays & Rocky Mountaineer Ride one of the world's most iconic trains through the otherworldly landscapes of Utah and Colorado on this trip for two, including flights. Win a 10-day group tour of Uzbekistan's Silk…

Asambar deer sniffed the air in Madhya Pradesh's Pench National Park. In unison, the surrounding members of its herd, each the colour of rusting iron, stopped grazing from the wind-rippled grasslands. Heads lifted, glistening nostrils flared and all eyes scrutinised the tree line. A languorous grey langur monkey – drunk on fermented mahua fruit and dozing on a fallen branch – opened one eye. You can often see langurs and sambar together. They have a symbiotic relationship because sambar can detect a predator's scent on the breeze from over a kilometre away; in return, the langurs are sharp-sighted when up in the treetops, and messy eaters too, sloppily dropping half-eaten fruit to the sambar below. Neither makes a conscious effort to help the other, but they are inextricably linked by…

On the mouth of the mighty Demerara River lies Georgetown, a capital city whose past pokes through on almost every street. Even the drive from the airport to the town centre reveals a cultural patchwork of Hindu prayer flags, mosques and brightly painted Caribbean rum shacks. The roots of all this lie in Guyana's history of European colonisation, when enslaved Africans and indentured labourers from India, Portugal and China were shipped in to work on the plantations. Not for nothing is it known as the Land of Six Peoples, yet from this dark past was improvised a cosmopolitan capital of infinite colour. Now, with Guyana in the midst of an economic boom, thanks to the discovery of offshore oil in 2015, the city is having to balance progress with the…

When did you start to think you could channel the birdwatching knowledge you had built up into a career as a guide? I was interested in birdwatching from a very young age. I was inspired by my uncle, Lamin Sidibeh, who was the first birdwatching guide in The Gambia and knows everything about birds. He later trained me in how to be a guide; now I enjoy encouraging others to follow in this profession. It's always heartening when people are able to turn their passions into their career. What I like about my job is simply getting to wander among the beauty of nature. It's not just the landscape, either; we have so many colourful birds in this country – The Gambia has over 600 recorded species – and it…

Piran, Slovenia Photographer: Michael Abid This summer was a difficult one for many, not least in Europe where fires and rains battered the continent. In August, Slovenia suffered its worst-ever natural disaster as floods swept across two-thirds of the country. But even in the most affected central and eastern areas, things have largely returned to normal now, although the damage and loss of livelihood during the busy summer period continues to resonate for many. Certainly, those travellers tempted by Slovenia's Adriatic coast will find their customary warm welcome intact in Piran, a town of exquisite Venetian Gothic fancy and no small number of nooks from which to spy sunset bathing the waters of the gulf a hazy orange. During late summer its twisting alleys, walkable city walls and historic Tartini…

HIGHLIGHTS Cycling the Island Line Trail An undoubted highlight of the trip was cycling the 21.6km-long (one way) Island Line Trail from Burlington, which begins near the marina. It's easy enough to rent bicycles for the day, and we hired a mix of manual and electric bikes from friendly company Local Motion (localmotion.org). From there, we traced the eastern shoreline of Lake Champlain, pausing periodically for breaks not because of heavy legs (the going is really flat), but because the route is laden with lakeside panoramas that are just too irresistible not to soak up for a little longer. The trail is easy for most of the way, allowing you to concentrate fully on the surrounding woodland as well as the marshy wetlands of Delta Park, a sub-tropical wilderness best…

Travelling with diabetes means there are a few more things to think about before you set off, but it shouldn't be a barrier to having fun. Certainly, if you're travelling abroad, a little extra planning can go a long way. If you are going on a long-haul flight, discuss this with your healthcare team first. They will advise you on any adjustments to your insulin injections, insulin pump or medication that may be required if you are crossing time zones. On long flights you may need snacks in between meals and at bedtime to prevent blood sugar levels dropping too low; if you use insulin, monitor your levels frequently and be prepared to change to your dosage. Insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring systems can be damaged if they pass…

When visiting a small town called Mahesh khali in southern Bangladesh, it began to dawn on me just how problematic some photography can be. Maheshkhali was quite busy that day: a small cruise ship, with an estimated 100 passengers, had anchored offshore and many of its guests had wandered into town, buying souvenirs, sipping on coconuts and taking pictures. On a residential back road, away from the bustle, a small child – no more than four years old – was playing in a yard. His cheeks were stained with mud and his clothes in tatters. A metre or so away, just by the gate, a western traveller was photographing him without the child realising. As he innocently rolled a burst bicycle tyre in the mud, the traveller snapped away, capturing…

DISPATCHES “This is North America's Machu Picchu, except it is far less well known around the world,” beamed Liz, our hotel concierge in Durango, Colorado, as she described how to find the scenic route that leads to Mesa Verde National Park. The ruins we were headed to are in fact centuries older than the more famous Inca citadel, but we would soon discover that the two locations share a similarly extraordinary setting, as well as an air of mystique around their creation stories. Mesa Verde means ‘Green Table’ in Spanish, defined by a people who were pioneers in misnaming geographical phenomena. The site is actually a cuesta (a ridge with a slight incline), only this one is made up of many smaller flat-topped hills (mesas) that are scattered between the…

“O hushed October morning mild, thy leaves have ripened to the fall,” wrote Robert Frost in his ode to the American autumn, beguiled by the changing of the leaves, the ripening of the grapes and the almost imperceptible slow-down in the natural world after the frenzied heat of summer had passed. It's no wonder he was so enchanted by this annual changing of the guard. As the weather cools and the leaves begin to turn, the USA and Canada transform into vibrant kaleidoscopes of colour. Nature is prompted to put on its most splendid shows, from the wildly beautiful northern lights to the wildlife readying itself for winter; and with fewer crowds to spoil the view, it's often a better time to explore the coasts, countryside and cities across the…

Al-Balad: Regenerating the past Restoring Jeddah's historic district offers not just a connection to another time for visitors, but a vital link for a local community that still considers it very much a part of the present When I tipped my head to the side, I could almost hear the clop of camels’ hooves on the cobblestones, their saddle bags bulging with cloves, pepper and ginger from the Far East; porcelain, jade and silk from China; and cardamon, cumin and turmeric from India, all unloaded from dhows that had sailed up the long barrel of the Red Sea. Some of them would have been led out into the desert by traders, others marched upstairs and into the kitchens of coral-stone mansions so tall that they carved the sky into thin…

When you first meet your Kenyan safari guide, there's a good chance he or she won't be wearing the beige or green outfits that are standard attire in Africa's safari heartlands. Instead, they could well be dressed in traditional regalia: a scarlet shuka (shawl) and blue kikoi (sarong), perhaps, with a stack of bangles or a beaded collar and feather-trimmed headdress. Here, Indigenous traditions outweigh safari conventions and traditional colours are worn with pride. It's a great ice breaker. Shukas and beadwork are powerful symbols of Kenya's heritage and diversity, and if you're as interested in culture as in nature, you're bound to be curious about the stories behind them. Rural communities that once stuck to Indigenous dress by default – through marginalisation, or because their elders considered Western styles…