An exclusive peek at the South Island’s new trail
T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E
! n i W Kong g n Trips to Ho
www.wanderlust.co.uk September 2018
Purr-fection in the Pantanal
Getting up close with Brazil’s wild jaguars
WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS
ttany & Macao, Bri bia and Colom See p 4
From sloths in Costa Rica to penguins in Antarctica – our guide to seeing the world’s most amazing species
Cambodia’s last wilderness Visit the eco-camp saving the Cardamom Mountains
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Solo travel in the modern age Chasing dragons in Kraków Join Palermo’s culture club Thailand photo special £4.50
Wanderlust Issue 189 (September 2018) 9 Wildlife encounters ♦ Brazil’s Pantanal ♦ New Zealand’s Paparoa Track ♦ Cambodia ♦ Solo Travel ♦ Pocket guides: Windhoek (Namibia), Palermo (Italy), Kraków (Poland)
Making tracks in New Zealand
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36-page birdwatching guide
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CONTENTS
Issue 189 September 2018
360˚ – NEED TO KNOW
nder 6Viewfi Need to know this month... 12Eat this... 14 Go now 155 minutes with... Simon Reeve 16Know your… eSwatini 18 Rail adventures 20
Dazzling canyons, the Arctic Caribbean and (seriously) flying penguins Was the obituary for guidebooks written too early? Why one of Italy’s most iconic snacks owes a debt to North Africa Slow travel at its finest in the medieval streets and churches of Lviv The thrill-seeking travel king on his new tour 50 years after independence, Swaziland has a new look See the world from the other side of the tracks…
TRAVEL MASTERCLASS
The masterclass 60Instant 63 Trails expert: US National 66Take better travel photos 68Travel clinic guide to... wheelie 70 Travellers’ luggage
Finding your feet in the world of stand-up paddleboarding
On the 50th anniversary of the US National Trails network, we salute its wild hikes Why the midday sun isn’t the death knell for top scenic snaps – so long as you know a few tricks While some travel health myths are hogwash, others have one foot in science. We diagnose the fakers from the shakers Get on a roll with our guide to the top wheeled baggage on the market
WIN!
▲ Cover story
of the best wildlife 889experiences
From penguins skipping the ice floes of the Antarctic to brown bears fumbling salmon in the rivers of Alaska – discover the best escapes for getting back to the wild. PLUS TV’s Liz Bonnin on her favourite animal encounters…
Special features
34Solo travel special
As more and more travellers discover the freedom that travelling alone gives them, we run down the tips, tricks and tech making it easier
Photo of the 110Wanderlust Year: the winners return
The winners of the 2016 Wanderlust Photo of the Year competition are back from their Thailand commission with some incredible shots – we catch up with them to see how they got on…
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A trip for two to Brittany, France, p72 A pair of Swarovski binoculars, p86 A solo adventure in Colombia, p108
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“They say Kraków was once menaced by a dragon with a taste for livestock and virgins, until the Polish settlement was saved by a shoemaker.”
“Solo travel is good for the soul; we return home full of the wonders of the world and with a new sense of self and excitement to share.” Beth Armstrong
USA, p63
141 “Perhaps your most memorable experience in Palermo will be watching puppets chopping each other’s heads off at the many Opera dei Pupi.” Graeme Green
TALKING HEADS Simon Reeve, p16
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Brazil, p74
“On the plane flying out, there were some Brits who were saying: oh flipping heck, maybe if you’re going, we shouldn’t be going there on holiday!”
Wanderlust September 2018
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SEND US YOUR BEST TRAVEL SNAPS Win a fabulous photo commission, p120 FEATURES
FROM THE ROAD
22Cambodia
Visit a new eco-camp deep within the Cardamom Mountains that is ensuring this once-troubled region, home to some of the country’s rarest wildlife, is being preserved for travellers and future generations New Zealand With the tenth New Zealand Great Walk set to launch, we take an exclusive peek at the trail that is looking to bring new life to the West Coast’s old mining towns Brazil We head of to the best place on Earth to see the jaguar – the remarkable western wetlands of the Pantanal – in the company of the local rangers who know these native big cats best, and are battling to save them
BBC Pictures/Simon Reeve
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TRAVEL PHOTO OF THE YEAR 2018
102Your tips
From dousing your water bottle with vodka (to stop it from freezing) to the joys of an icy kayak encounter, here are your secrets for travelling the polar regions Readers’ pictures The best snaps from your travels, including topping the Rocky Mountains, exploring Egypt on camelback, mingling with penguins in the Antarctic, taking in the views on a Thai ridge walk, and many more… Letters In our mailbag: why it pays to take your time in Ecuador, recalling your amazing voyages, ‘masking’ your frustration on the Sepik River, your 10-second tales of quirky food markets and much, much more...
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POCKET GUIDES
24 hours: 137 First Windhoek, Namibia
Often dismissed as ‘Africa for beginners’, Namibia’s colonial capital is not just a gateway to the parks but a fascinating living document of the country’s history
139Short break: Palermo, Italy
Sicily’s new Capital of Culture is a riot of architecture, food, tradition and… err, puppetry. Discover why the past is writ large in the streets, buildings and marionette theatres of the city
icon: Wawel Castle, 141Travel Kraków
No longer prone to dragon attack – at least not that we know of – this Polish castle marks 40 years of UNESCO backing
137 Kraków, p141
Lviv, p15
“The Kunene region in the north-west is one of Africa’s last great wildernesses, home to epic scenery, the semi-nomadic Himba people and wildlife.” Sarah Gilbert
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“From the air, the range seemed to rise and fall like the bumpy spine of a reptile, while tiny figures in orange vests moved along it like bustling ants.” Phoebe Smith
Sicily, p14 & p139
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Thailand, p110 Cambodia, p22
Windhoek, p137 eSwatini, p18
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“I stroked the silky back of the largest python as it rustled across the crispy fallen leaves. It turned and dared me to do it again.” Mark Stratton
“The two jaguars were absorbed in each other and oblivious to our lights as they mated right there, in the open, in the beam of our car headlights.” Lyn Hughes
New Zealand, p46
Wanderlust September 2018
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Lower Antelope Canyon, USA Arizona’s swirling sandstone slot canyon is called Hazdistazí (‘spiral rock arches’) by the Navajo
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“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.� Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Cambodia
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BRAVE NEW DAWN Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains region is one of the country’s last true wildernesses, and a new eco-camp is ensuring we’ll still be able to see it for years to come… WORDS MARK STRATTON
One and only
The Cardamom Mountains are home to great biodiversity, but has long been under threat from human folly
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THE ULTIMATE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E www.wanderlust.co.uk February 2018
Foodie Greece
53
Aegean island-hopping without the crowds
Alternative
THAILANDBEST
TRIPS 2018
Leaving the tourist trail for the kingdom’s secret spots
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Featuring: Patagonia Japan Mongolia Cambodia Russia Silk Road Chile Namibia Madagascar Sri Lanka Alaska & more...
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Great Barrier Reef, Australia Boston, USA Wild Africa Guide Awards
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T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E
29/09/2017 11:11
Kate Humble in the Congo Sail away to St Kilda, Scotland Travel Icon: Havana, Cuba
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Your expert guide towort See p4 exploring the Golden Triangle and beyond
www.wanderlust.co.uk May 2018
World’s best-kept
TRAVEL SECRETS
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A tailormade trip worth £5,000! See p4
25 tips for dodging crowds and discovering gems
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Easy cycling adventures
15/12/2017 19:18
Two-wheel journeys that won’t leave you saddle-sore
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Safaris in Abu Dhabi?
Orient Express or Interrail?
Discover the United Arab Emirates’ wild side
We pit the budget against the best
T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E Withen! www.wanderlust.co.uk March 2018 Canadian
A trip to worth Rockies £2,500! See p4
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Revisiting Zimbabwe Taking a short break in Serbia Wandering the Cotswold Way Exploring Auckland in 24 hours
Wanderlust Issue 182 (December 2017/January 2018) Travel Hot List 2018 ♦ Christmas Island ♦ Sweden’s wolves ♦ Buenos Aires ♦ Indonesia’s islands ♦ Pocket guides: Taipei (Taiwan), La Rochelle, San Francisco
Cross the continent in his revolutionary footsteps
Rafting, walking and wildlife watching… without the crowds
Wanderlust Issue 183 (March 2018) Best train journeys ♦ Orient Express vs Interrail ♦ Australia by rail ♦ Sri Lanka's national parks ♦ Japan by train ♦ Pocket guides: Gdańsk (Poland), Formentera (Spain), Valletta (Malta)
www.wanderlust.co.uk November 2017
Wanderlust Issue 186 (May 2018) Travel secrets ♦ 11 Easy cycling adventures ♦ Argentina ♦ The Cotswold Way ♦ Abu Dhabi ♦ Zimbabwe ♦ Pocket guides: Auckland, Belgrade, Cape Town
Wanderlust Issue 183 (February 2018) Top 53 Trips for 2018 ♦ Costa Rica ♦ India ♦ Kate Humble in the Congo ♦ St Kilda, Scotland ♦ Pocket guides: Salta (Argentina), County Cork (Ireland), Havana (Cuba)
Wanderlust Issue 181 (November 2017) Alternative Thailand ♦ Che’s Latin America ♦ Foodie Greece ♦ Wild Africa ♦ Great Barrier Reef ♦ World Guide Awards – Results ♦ Pocket guides: Brussels, Hull and Boston
T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E Win!
Devil’s deserts and floating volcanoes
Costa Rica
Che Guevara’s Latin America
n to A photo commissio £3,000 Costa Rica, writing in cash or a to Thailand assignment See p4
Hitting highs in Argentina
Christmas Island
Discover wild wonders with new easy flights
Offbeat Cuba
Meeting the locals without the crowds
T R AV E L M A G A Z I N E
Sweden
Howling with wolves – just two hours from Stockholm
BEST TRAIN TRAVEL JOURNEYS IN HOT LIST 2018 THE WORLD
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Featuring: Norway ● New Zealand ● Russia ● Canada ● USA ● Mexico ● Peru ● India ● Morocco ● Vietnam & more...
www.wanderlust.co.uk December 2017/January 2018
Win!to A hiking trip
Norway worth! over £1,700 See p4
Featuring: Patagonia, Chile South Africa Russia Morocco Western Australia Colorado, USA Peru Tanzania The Baltics New Zealand and more...
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Indonesia’s islands San Francisco Taiwan La Rochelle, France
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Crossing Japan on the rails Sri Lanka’s best national parks Australia – from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific
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Time to Tango
Hot-foot it to Buenos Aires to join the dancing
03/11/2017 11:26
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QUEEN OF THE PANTANAL
A ranch in Brazil’s Pantanal is not only helping to save some of the planet’s rarest species – including jaguars – but lets visitors join those battling to protect them out in the wild… WORDS LYN HUGHES PHOTOGRAPHS SIMON CHUBB
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Brazil
Wanderlust September 2018
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T
he radio burst into life and Jessica, one of my two guides, grinned as she turned to me: “A pair of jaguars have been seen… You want to see if we can find them?” Mario accelerated and the open safari vehicle tore along unpaved track deep in Brazil’s Pantanal region while Jessica and I pulled on ponchos to deter the winter chill blasting our faces. As we reached the location where the jaguars had been seen, we heard the alarm calls of jays announcing their presence. The road was bordered by a strip of forest and Mario had picked a spot that gave us the best possible view, but we saw nothing. The minutes ticked by. Suddenly, he hissed something in Portuguese to Jessica, then turned to me and said that he thought he’d heard a noise, so we drove back a short way before detouring up a grassy track. We emerged in a tree-dotted field behind the woodland. Mario turned the engine off and we scanned the pasture in silence, our senses alert. In unison we spotted a powerfully built male jaguar with a huge round head. It sat in the grass, relaxed, before loping across towards the trees and disappearing. It was only then, as we turned to leave, that we realised a female jaguar was in the field too. She was much smaller than him, almost sylph-like in comparison, and as she strolled towards the same patch of forest, she took a line closer to our car, completely unperturbed at our presence.
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Entering the woods, she made her way along the other side of the wire fence that bordered it, staying often in sight. She then came back out into the field, looking back all the time for the male, and rolled in the grass in a provocative manner. She seemed to be playing a game of come hither: one minute hard to get, the next displaying herself to the male. It worked, as he reappeared and settled down to watch her. As twilight fell, she walked past us another time, just five metres from where we sat. The male was clearly fixated with her but kept his distance. Eventually they both headed off across the field together. By now it was pitch black and fireflies danced in the meadow. Switching the headlights on, we slowly followed the pair, keeping a respectful distance. Jessica revealed that the female was known as Juju and was two years and three months old. “We know her mother, Nusa, very well,” she said. “We first saw Juju as a tiny cub, so she is very used to us. But the male we do not recognise. He is possibly a new one to the ranch.” We turned back down to the road and drove on, exhilarated and chatting excitedly. “Even for us that was exceptional,” announced Jessica. But before I could answer, there was a sudden but significant movement in the trees at the side of the road. Mario slammed on the brakes. Another jaguar had started to run across the road but stopped, and instead ran alongside the treeline parallel to us. “That’s Nusa,” exclaimed Jessica, “the mother of Juju.” The animal crossed behind us and made a guttural noise, something between a cough and a roar, before heading off. ⊲
‘As we reached the spot where the jaguars had been seen, we heard the alarm calls of jays’
Wanderlust September 2018
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Brazil
On the big cat trail
Searching with Jessica and Mario for the pair of jaguar; (left) capybaras hang out in social family groups
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9
OF THE BEST WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES
Seeing a creature in its natural habitat is one of the greatest moments in travel – here is your guide to finding, tracking and encountering the world’s most amazing species…
1
Penguin RANGE: 20 million penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.
THE EXPERIENCE: The Antarctic Treaty insists that you keep five metres between yourself and a penguin. But just try telling them that. Sat on an icy shore, trying to keep both distance and composure, it’s nigh on impossible not to attract the attention of these curious birds, and it makes for an encounter like no other. NEED TO KNOW: Some 18 penguin species live across the Southern Hemisphere, from as far north as Ecuador’s Galápagos Islands, where you can snorkel alongside its endemic species year-round, to the shores of the Eastern Antarctic’s Ross Island and its vast colonies of tobogganing Adélie.
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But you don’t always need a cruise ship. You can swim alongside the braying (and crotchety) jackass penguins of Cape Town’s Boulders Beach in South Africa or spot rare yellow-eyed species in the bays of Dunedin, New Zealand, without ever setting foot on a deck. BEST PLACE TO SEE… The sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia is perhaps the world’s most famous penguin-sighting spot; cruises (Nov–Mar) disembark on Salisbury Plain, home to some 500,000 king penguins, for one of the great wildlife sights (arrive Dec–Feb to see chicks hatching). But whether spying hundreds of Magellanic penguins on the shores of Punta Tombo in Argentinian Patagonia (Oct–Mar for breeding) or fending off curious gentoos at Antarctic base Port Lockroy, seeing these birds makes for an unforgettable experience. ⊲
Wanderlust September 2018
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Wildlife
Beaky finders A king penguin surveys its busy terrain
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SNOW & ICE SPECIAL From dog-sledding across Lapland to polar bear-spotting in Canada – we round up the top frozen escapes…
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• Tackling Peru’s Lares Trek • Chimp-tracking in Uganda • Hong Kong & Macao guide • Pedalling across Provence …and much more
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