Charitable Traveller Magazine - August/September 2021 - Issue 6

50% travel, 50% charity, 100% meaningful

50% travel, 50% charity, 100% meaning August/September 2021 ISSUE 6

Expand your horizons

Discover your perfect holiday and where to have it, both abroad and here in the UK

ICELAND

Wild landscapes formed from ice and fire

RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL How to help travel come back for good

GEORGIA

The southern state with a mind of its own

Small

STEPS FROM THE EDITOR

Laura Gelder

A lot has changed since the last issue of Charitable Traveller and most of it involves the excitement of leaving the little corner of England where I live.

I have been to a wedding at a beautiful vineyard in Berkshire. I also visited London twice, to attend Wimbledon where I saw tennis legends Roger Federer and Serena Williams play and to watch the joyful West End musical Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat.

I’ve had two staycations, one town and one country. I visited a friend in Oxford and enjoyed gazing at spectacularly old and beautiful buildings, went paddle boarding past punters, explored the resplendent Botanical Gardens and browsed many bookshops. I also finally made it back to my favourite place, Dorset. Here I revisited old favourites as well as discovering a new and very steep section of the South West Coast Path. With the wind in my hair, gazing down at the craggy glory of the Jurassic Coast, I told myself I didn’t need to go abroad. But perhaps I was too hasty…

With the wind in my hair, gazing down at the craggy glory of the Jurassic Coast, I told myself I didn’t need to go abroad.

But perhaps I was too hasty...

Reading our feature on Iceland this month by Mark Stratton (page 46) I was riveted with his descriptions of seismic forces and dancing killer whales. Of course I want to go abroad! But it’s also true that Dorset’s coast is every bit as dramatic and beautiful as Iceland’s. Read our feature on page 12 and you’ll see that you can always find what you want at home and abroad, and keep turning the pages to travel from Cheshire to Chile and beyond.

Lastly, don’t miss our charity coverage – meet the captain of a very special tallship, read all about an amazing social enterprise that offers city tours by homeless people and discover one reader’s volunteering journey in Peru.

©CHARITABLE TRAVEL 2021. CHARITABLE TRAVELLER is part of CHARITABLE TRAVEL, Fundraising Futures Community Interest Company, Contingent Works, Broadway Buildings, Elmfield Road, Bromley, BR1 1LW, UK. Putting our profit to work supporting the work of charitable causes. T: 020 3092 1288 E: bookings@charitable.travel W: charitable.travel Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, CHARITABLE TRAVEL cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

FRONT COVER: istockphoto.com. CEO: Melissa Tilling; MARKETING: Rosie Buddell, Ally Ware & Adam Pedley; SALES: Ali Nicholls; MAGAZINE EDITOR: Laura Gelder; MAGAZINE DESIGNER: Louisa Horton (louisacreative@outlook.com)

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021

INSIDE

this issue 5 Get the picture 11 Armchair travel 12 Abroad versus staycation:

Seven holiday ideas, at

home and away 21 Five charities... using books

for good 22 Q&A with: The Founder of

Invisible Cities, a social enterprise 24 Get to know:

Pembrokeshire 32 In numbers: Period Poverty

34 Postcard from: Krabi, Thailand 35 Why I donate: Peru-based

charity Hoop UK in the spotlight 36 Responsible travel:

How to make sure you

are doing your bit 41 Four views of... Chile 42 48 hours in... Cheshire 44 A day in the life of...

Darren from the Jubilee

Sailing Trust

45 Five tasty ways... to enjoy

Guernsey 46 Iceland: Feel the force of nature 54 Postcard from: The Faroe Islands 55 Opinion: Mark Bibby

Jackson on Africa’s covid

crisis for wildlife 56 Get to know: Georgia, USA 58 Top ten: Luxury hotels in Malta 62 Global good news

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GET THE

picture

The show must go on

So-called freedom day has been met with mixed feelings but perhaps no industry, with the exception of travel, has welcomed it more than the theatre industry. The removal of social distancing measures meant that venues across the country were finally able to entertain at full capacity.

They aren’t out of the woods yet – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s much anticipated musical adaptation of Cindarella had to cancel its opening nights due to cast and crew being told to self-isolate – but with the support of audiences theatres will continue to bring us joy and escapism.

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Get the picture

This one is on nature

As we’ve all been breathing sigh of relief that we’re finally allowed to meet inside the pub, Sweden has opened the world’s largest outdoor bar.

Technically it’s lots of bars, but they are all located in Sweden’s most beautiful landscapes and serve food and drinks made using ingredients from the country’s 100-million-acre pantry. During a Drinkable Country experience you get to explore the area with local guides and forage for and mix your own natureinspired beverage. There’s a bar by the Gota Canal, a table on the rocky shoreline of Ramsvik island or a seat in a Lapland forest, and more - your choice!

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MORE to ExPLORE Welcome back to the Maltese Islands.

Malta is on the Green List! The winding honey-coloured streets, picturesque coves and tranquil waters have missed visitors over the last year and are ready to welcome vaccinated travellers to explore more.

charitable.travel/more-to-explore

cOMINO, mALTA

Get the picture

Anchors away!

The UK government’s ban on international cruises has finally been lifted and from August 2 Brits can set sail wherever in the world they wish. It’s been a long time coming – the ban was introduced last July – but there hasn’t been no cruise action as round-Britain cruises had already started running successfully this summer. Most cruise lines have announced that they intend to restart international sailings in the autumn so, whether you’re dreaming of Caribbean island hopping or gliding through a Norwegian fjord, there’s plenty of time to book your next voyage. cruise.charitable.travel

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NOT TRAVELLING ABROAD THIS SUMMER? PLEDGE £5 TO SUPPORT GLOBAL COMMUNITIES WHO RELY ON TOURISM INCOME THE CHARITABLE TRAVEL FUND raises vital funds for communities worldwide, who depend on tourism income but have little or no support when that income is threatened beyond expectation or control. The impact of COVID-19 on the global travel community is wide-reaching, and another summer without international travel will be devastating. Your donations to THE CHARITABLE TRAVEL FUND will help to support these communities around the world.

Donate now

charitabletravel.org / help@charitabletravel.org justgiving.com/charitabletravelfund 020 3092 2428

or scan me

CHARITY NUMBER: 1189521

The White Lotus Sky and Now TV

Written and directed by School of Rock creator Mike White, this social satire set at an exclusive Hawaiian resort follows the holidays of various guests over the span of a week. But with each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travellers, the hotel’s cheerful employees and the idyllic location.

The comedy-drama stars Jennifer Coolidge and Steve Zahn, amongst others, and will make you long for a resort holiday and swear off them forever at the same time.

TV

An A-Z of Pasta: Stories, Shapes, Sauces, Recipes Rachel Roddy

Guardian columnist and award-winning food writer Rachel Roddy condenses everything she knows about Italy’s favourite food in this practical, easyto-use and mouth-watering collection of over 120 pasta and sauce recipes. It’s also got a selection of short essays that weave together the history, culture and everyday life of pasta shapes from the tip to the toe of Italy. Learn how to match shapes with sauces, perfect the classics, like carbonara, and learn new recipes.

If you love Italy, pasta or both, you’ll love this.

Book

ARMCHAIR

travel time

A luxurious Hawaiian resort, a journey around Italy via its pasta, a loving look at Canada’s lumberjacks and an Amazon adventure

Lumberjack: Adventure is Calling – the History, the Lore, the Life

By Lauren Jarvis

Book

The loggers who worked the forests of North America changed its historical, geographical and cultural landscape forever. Charitable Traveller contributer Lauren Jarvis’ debut book examines these iconic plaid-clad figures. Whether you’re a history buff or a hipster you’ll enjoy this look into the lumberjack life. Read interviews with the lumberjacks and Jills of yesteryear, discover the history of indigenous lumberjacks and the future of sustainable forestry. Learn how to throw an axe or survive a bear attack.

Jungle Cruise Cinemas and Disney Plus’ Premier Access

Disney’s latest and much anticipated live action blockbuster is out! Starring Dwayne Johnson, (AKA, The Rock), Emily Blunt and Jack Whitehall as a jungle cruise captain, a scientist in search of a rare healing flower and her reluctant research assistant, respectively, the romantic comedy filmed in Hawaii is set to be a silly but very entertaining romp.

Fans claim it’s a homage to movie classic African Queen but it looks closer to The Mummy.

Film

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Abroad versus staycation TAJ MAHAL

Home & away ON

N PAVILLI

BRIGHTO

Are you itching to leave the country or is your passport firmly wedged in your desk drawer?

It doesn’t matter because we have some ideas for holidays in the UK and abroad which are surprisingly similar, says

T

he British Isles might be small but they are spectacularly diverse and what we lack in sunshine (sometimes) we make up for in historic towns and cities, handsome countryside and a long and lovely coast.

Gone are the days when a staycation was seen as a consolation prize. Now people are waking up to the stunning places on their doorstep. Of course, going abroad is always exciting and a chance to discover new cultures, taste new foods and get a different perspective on the world, but what if you could find what you’re looking for right here at home?

Instead of flying to Italy to see the rooftop villages

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Laura Gelder

of Tuscany, drive to the Cotswolds in England to find some of the world’s most idyllic villages.

Instead of taking the Rocky Mountaineer train though Canada’s rugged country, you can take the Jacobite Steam Train in Scotland and pass our tallest mountain, Europe’s deepest lake and cross the famous and spectacular Glenfinnan viaduct, made famous in Harry Potter.

Read on for two options, one here and one abroad, for seven very different holidays. So, whatever the British government decides and however you’re feeling, there’s always a way to get away from what you know and explore somewhere beautiful.

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Abroad versus staycation

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the wine tasting tour SPARKLING SUSSEX

Perhaps the only benefit of climate change is that the south of England now has the perfect climate for creating sparkling wine – so good, in fact, that French Champagne houses are hurriedly buying up land there. There are many vineyards in Sussex offering tastings, ranging from the established and traditional Bolney Wine Estate near Brighton, to the new and innovative House Coren, which is incorporating the same method used for Prosecco to create its fresh and fruity sparkling wine, Boco. If you’re still missing France, head to Lordington Lavender’s purple fields who needs Provence?

CHAMPAGNE & FLOWERS IN FRANCE Think of a classic French scene and you might imagine someone cycling through fields of sunflowers or lavender, perhaps with a baguette in their basket, or lines of beautiful vines.

Provence is famous for its purple fields and hilltop villages with crumbling chateaus, as well as being the country’s biggest producer of rosé wine. East of Paris, the Champagne region is bursting with sunflowers as well as vineyards and cycling is a smart way to ensure you can taste its famous bubbly.

PROVENCE

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Abroad versus staycation

the coastal adventure ITALY’S AMALFI COAST

POSITANO

PORTMEIRION AND THE WELSH COAST

The Amalfi Coast is as dramatic as an Italian love story, a series of precipitous, lush peaks plunging into the azure Tyrrhenian Sea with heart-breakingly beautiful villages clinging on for the ride. Don’t miss Ravello, with its polished piazza and al fresco cafes, romantic terracotta-roofed villas and gardens bursting with blooms. Check out Positano too, you’ll find a cascade of pink, peach and terracotta houses tumbling down to the coast, where sunbaked Italians sip Aperol Spritz.

PORTMEIRION

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© Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2021) Cymru Wales

Believe it or not, a slice of the Italian Riviera exists in Wales.

Portmeirion is a private village built in the early 20th century and where the cult 1960s TV series, The Prisoner, was filmed. Set on the estuary of the River Dwyryd, it’s a vivid tribute to Italy with two hotels, a spa, boutique shops, award-winning restaurants and a gelato parlour. Italianate features include its terracotta-roofed houses painted in bright colours, exotic gardens and a campanile, or bell tower.

From here, hit the Welsh coast for sweeping beaches, cute fishing villages and theatrical cliff-top views.

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Abroad versus staycation

SCOTLAND’S NORTH COAST 500

CAPE BRETON

Hugging the coast of northern Scotland for 516 miles, this route starts and ends at Inverness Castle and passes the top end of Britain at John O’Groats.

You’ll pass glimmering lochs, purple heather-smothered glens, craggy peaks and a wild coast. You’ll see shaggy highland cattle, majestic red deer and maybe a golden eagle. Take at least a week to fit in hikes, haggis, whiskey tastings and highlights like the vast sea cave of Smoo with its interior waterfall; the romantic ruins of Ardvreck Castle looking over Loch Assynt; dramatic Corrieshalloch Gorge with its Victorian suspension bridge and the russet sands of Red Point Beach.

the epic road trip

CANADA’S CABOT TRAIL

This 186-mile scenic highway winds around the northern coast of Cape Breton Island, part of Canada’s Atlantic province Nova Scotia. The journey opens up sparkling ocean vistas and winds past lush, forested river canyons and ancient rock plateaus. Enjoy the rugged but accessible hiking of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and spy moose and bald eagles. Sample the lively Gaelic pubs and taste the legendary local lobster or do a kayaking or whale watching trip where you can see minke or pilot whales.

KYLESKU BRIDGE

YOUR OUTDOOR ADVENTURE AWAITS For those looking to venture off the beaten path, Tucson’s wide open spaces are ready to be explored.

Find out more at: charitable.travel/north-america/arizona/tucson

Tanque Verde Ranch

© Isles of Scilly / Bob Berry

Abroad versus staycation

THE ISLANDS OF GREECE

Greece is so spoilt for beautiful islands that it’s almost criminal to visit just one. You could choose the glamorous Cyclade islands, which includes Mykonos with its stylish waterfront bars and white-washed windmills.

Or head north to the pine-shaded Sporades, including Skopelos where Mamma Mia was filmed. Or go west to the mountainous Ionian Islands with their Venetian streets. Wherever you go you’ll find ancient history, sun-soaked beaches and delectable food.

the island odyssey

RHODES

BRYHER, ISLES OF SCI

LLY

THE UK’S ISLES OF SCILLY

Floating south of Cornwall are five inhabited islands - St. Mary’s, Tresco, St. Martin’s, Bryher and St. Agnes, plus countless uninhabited ones to explore. The pace is slow in the Scilly Isles, with few cars and no big cites.

You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time when you notice the honesty boxes dotting the hedgerows and offering fresh local produce for sale. Explore gorgeous white sand beaches, exotic gardens bursting with succulents and palms and quaint villages.

Relax and eat crab sandwiches or have an adventure and swim with wild seals.

Abroad versus staycation

the romantic river walk

GERMANY’S RHINE VALLEY

RHEINSTEIN CASTLE

Between Rüdesheim and Koblenz, Germany’s River Rhine cuts deeply through mountains smothered in steep vineyards and some 20 romantic hilltop castles, complete with fairy tale-esque turrets. Around each bend of the mighty river quaint villages with half-timbered houses and Gothic churches offer respite for weary travellers and a place to sample the local beers and fruity Riesling wine.

THE WYE VALLEY, HEREFORDSHIRE

Close to the border with Wales, the River Wye meanders through a picturesque, green valley, a historically strategic area still dotted with castles. Perched high above the Wye River on limestone cliffs, Chepstow Castle is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain, built in 1067. The Wye Valley Hiking Trail starts here and continues for 136 miles, crossing ravines and gorges, meadows and woodlands.

Don’t miss the gothic ruins of Tintern Abbey or the spectacular view of a dramatic river bend from Symonds Yat Rock.

THE WYE FROM SYMONDS YAT

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Abroad versus staycation KOH PHI PHI

the beach holiday THAILAND’S ANDAMAN SEA

There’s something about the Andaman Sea’s craggy isles that captures the imagination. The vertical forest-smothered limestone karsts look like impenetrable pirate isles, towering over some of the most postcard-perfect beaches in the world. Don’t miss Koh Hong with its white sands and hidden emerald lagoon, surrounded by tiny uninhabited boulders. Or head to Koh Phi Phi Leh where The Beach was filmed.

CORNWALL’S LIZARD PENINSULA

KYNANCE COVE

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Jutting 10 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean, the Lizard is the most southerly point in mainland Britain but its dramatic coast and remote feel is worth the effort, just don’t get lost on its rambling single-track roads. Its most famous beach is Kynance Cove, a snug green inlet lapped by turquoise water and protected by towering rocks and sea stacks. Don’t miss the drama of Lizard Point where you can stand beneath the lighthouse and spot seals, dolphins and basking sharks, the pretty villages of whitewashed cottages like Coverack and the tropical gardens of Trebah.

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Abroad versus staycation

SZECHENYI

ROMAN RELAXATION IN BATH

The honey-hued architecture of Bath certainly has the same grandeur as Budapest, most evident in the stately perfection of the Royal Crescent, a famous semi-circle of tall and columned Georgian townhouses. When your feet are tired from walking the streets, you can always check into the spa. Bath is so-called because it’s home to one of the world’s best-preserved Roman bathhouses. Sadly it’s for looking, not bathing, but the modern Thermae Bath Spa has a relaxing and steamy pool looking out over the city’s rooftops.

the city spa break THE ROMAN BATHS

BATHING IN BUDAPEST

Hungary’s capital hugs the River Danube with its beautiful jumble of baroque, neoclassical and art nouveau architecture.

It’s a place to wander slowly so you can really take in the grand squares and get lost in the cobbled streets where small cafes beckon. Budapest is blessed with an abundance of hot springs and has been a place to relax since Roman times. Széchenyi bath house was built in 1913 and the neo-Baroque palace in Budapest’s City Park houses 15 indoor pools and three huge outdoor pools.

What Makes This Beach Different?

Plan an unrivaled kind of Florida vacation. Spread out on 24 miles of golden beaches. Dine at waterfront restaurants serving up sunset views. Or cruise miles of scenic waterways in the “Yachting Capital of the World.” What makes this beach different? Everyone under the sun. Learn more at charitable.travel/north-america/fort-lauderdale/

‘wow’ moment ticked off my list

SAVE

10% on 2022 Tours

LOST CANYONS OF THE SOUTHWEST 9 days | Phoenix to Las Vegas This fascinating tour of Arizona invites you to explore the lost cultures of the American Southwest.

Visit ancient cliff dwellings, towering spires, the deepest of canyons, and the deepest of mysteries. From Phoenix to Vegas, you’ll enjoy sightseeing in Tempe, Scottsdale, and Jerome – plus a tour of Boulder City’s Hoover Dam.

Committed to Health and Safety

Visit www.charitable.travel/cosmos

Guided jeep tours through Canyon de Chelly National Monument and the red rock scenery of Sedona get you closer to the secrets within the region’s sandstone formations, as do adventuresome train rides on the Verde Canyon Scenic Railroad and the Grand Canyon Railway. from

READER RECOMMENDED

UK 2020

Booking must be made before 6th December 2021 for the 10% discount.

Offer does not include air fare. Flights can be added to your booking. Fare is subject to availability. Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended survey of Cosmos escorted tours customer experience, 106 Good Housekeeping readers, 2018.

£2,135 pp

£1,925pp

Price based on 2 May 2022.

Book before 6th December 2021.

Flights available to add on.

7 alternative departure dates available for 2022.

THE WAVE, ARIZONA, CANYON ROCK FORMATION — 36° 59’ 45.84” N, 112° 0’ 21.9” W

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BOOKS FOR GOOD Reading opens doors for people by introducing other worlds, stimulating imagination and creativity and improving knowledge and confidence. Here are five charities sharing the power of books BAG BOOKS

Bag Books is the only charity in the world publishing books for people with severe learning disabilities. Each ‘book’ consists of a few unbound A3 boards comprising a multisensory experience, bought together by a simple but captivating story of a few sentences.

This is told interactively through voice and emotion rather than words and pictures.

Listeners can experience having a haircut or going to the zoo, with sensory props to feel and smell their way. Bag Books are handmade by a team of skilled craft artists and volunteers, each taking around seven hours. bagbooks.org

BOOK AID INTERNATIONAL

Working with publishers and its network of partners, Bookaid supplies around one million carefully selected new books to public and community libraries, schools, universities, refugee camps, hospitals and prisons worldwide.

The charity’s belief is that that everyone should be able to access the books that can enrich their lives and change them for the better. One way to support Book Aid is to join its Reverse Book Club. For a minimum donation of £6 a month book lovers can send three books a month to those in need. bookaid.org

ROOM TO READ

Seeking to transform the lives of millions of children in low-income communities in Africa and Asia, Room to Read is focused on improving literacy and gender equality in education. The charity operates in the knowledge that knowing how to read makes people safer, healthier and more self-sufficient, yet 750 million people are illiterate - two thirds of them women and girls. Room to Read develops literacy skills and good reading habits and supports girls to complete secondary school. roomtoread.org

SHANNON TRUST

JUST BE A CHILD

This charity empowers Kenyan communities to operate their own libraries and learning centres. After a playground is established the community receives a shipping container packed with books which is converted into a library. The libraries are staffed by local volunteers and librarians who support children with developmental activities. The charity’s aim is to enrich childhood experiences, advance education and offer fun, recreational activities.

Community engagement is maintained by hosting arts and crafts activities, writing competitions, reading sessions, volunteer training and much more. justbeachild.com

Fifty per cent of people that end up in prison have a literacy level below that of an 11 year old and many cannot read at all. Shannon Trust inspires and trains prisoners who can read to teach prisoners who can’t. Both the charity’s mentors and the learners in its Reading Programme develop sought-after skills critical for employment, including communication, teamwork, resilience and a positive attitude. shannontrust.org.uk

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STORIES

from the streets Founder & CEO of Invisible Cities, Zakia Moulaoui Guery, tells us about her urban tours by homeless guides

WHAT GAVE YOU THE IDEA FOR INVISIBLE CITIES?

I wanted to be a teacher but I ended up working more in the NGO/charity sector, at first supporting refugee families to learn French and then for the Homeless World Cup, an organisation that supports charity street soccer projects around the world and hosts a tournament every year to bring homeless people together through football. Having to do things like organise visas for people who had no fixed address made me realise the complexity of homelessness and opened my eyes to the stigma that followed them.

I then went on to volunteer in a Greek refugee camp. The experience marked me and made me realise that people have incredible stories to tell as well as dreams for a better life.

HOW DID YOU SET UP?

I came back to the UK with the idea to run tours by homeless people and

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took part in the Good Ideas Academy in Edinburgh, a scheme which helps people kick-start non-profits. By the time I finished the six-month course Invisible Cities was up and running.

I asked other charities, like Crisis and the Salvation Army, to introduce me to homeless people who might want to be tour guides. When I had four people ready to start I approached heritage and tourism organisations to volunteer and train them on how to be a good guide. We also approached companies to fund us for things like printing leaflets.

In 2016 we launched our first two tours. For the first two years we were completely volunteer-led. I paid the guides but relied entirely on pro-bono support and had to have another job to pay the bills. It was hard work but worth it.

WHAT IS YOUR AIM?

We want to train our guides up with lots of skills so they can use us as a stepping stone to other jobs, perhaps

in tourism or hospitality. So far we’ve trained over 70 people, and not just in how to run tours but how to write a CV, interview skills, conflict resolution, first aid and more. Once they are in accommodation we help them with things like budgeting.

We also partner with companies to offer training. Booking.com have given customer service training to our guides. That’s really nice because they can put something professional on their CV and it makes them feel part of the tourism industry.

HOW IS THE CONTENT FOR TOURS DECIDED?

Guides decide what they want to talk about during training and they often tie it in with their personal life. Our longest running guide, Sonny, bases his Edinburgh tour around crime and punishment because he’s done time in prison. Some people don’t want to talk about themselves or are scared of being judged so we don’t force it but it’s important that they talk

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about things they are passionate about – we have tours that cover music and architecture, for instance.

One of our York guides, Miles, talks about the health and wellness of York. Miles used to work in a bank managing the top accounts until he got addicted to drugs and stopped talking to his family. He has a fascinating story about how homelessness can happen to anyone, which he weaves in with historical stories about poverty throughout time and how it reflects on the city.

WHAT IS THE FEEDBACK FROM CUSTOMERS?

Overwhelmingly positive. We market our tours as being ‘alternative’ so we get quite a lot of locals on them and they always say how much they learned about their home. The most common feedback is how connected people feel to the guides, which is exactly what we are aiming for.

People are sometimes surprised at the knowledge our guides have.

Others report on how it educated them around issues like addiction and homelessness.

TELL US ABOUT SOME SUCCESS STORIES

We’re really lucky to have found such good people. Sonny has been with us for five years. He was placed in care as a kid and was then in and out of prison with addiction issues.

When I first met him he had a job but he was struggling to make it to work every day. But he never missed running a tour. When I asked him why that was he admitted that even a part time job was too much for him at that time but the tours were perfect, meeting people for a couple of hours every so often worked well for him. He’s since reunited with his family and plans to remain a guide but perhaps go into public speaking about his experiences in the future.

Another guide in Edinburgh, Angus, runs a tour about architecture in the Royal Mile. He’s a very clever man who is passionate about history and

HOW HAS COVID-19 AFFECTED BUSINESS?

The biggest issue we had during the pandemic was how to keep everyone was safe, healthy, able to isolate and supported, since their income stopped. We organised deliveries of fresh fruit and vegetables, got everyone tablets (thanks to a supporter) and we organised weekly zoom sessions.

speaks several languages – when he was a Big Issue Vendor he even taught himself Roma so he could speak to his Romanian colleagues.

His plan was always to go back to Aberdeen, reunite with his sister and maybe start tours there. Because we supported him with food during the pandemic he’s managed to clear his debt and now he’s leaving, which is a shame for us but great for him.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU HAVE?

Probably managing the balance between the social and the commercial aspects of the business because we are working with people who have very complex lives. Our guides are often dealing with issues like trauma, mental health and addiction. We have to be honest with our own limitations and that’s hard to accept sometimes.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We currently offer tours in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, York, and soon Cardiff and Liverpool.

We want to launch another city next year and also to have a plan in place for expanding to another country.

Watch this space!

Street smart

Learn about Manchester’s nightlife and music scene with Andy, York’s railway heritage with Gemma or the history of the trainspotting generation in Edinburgh with Paul. invisible-cities.org

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Get to know

PEMBROKESHIRE

Wales

PEMBROKE CASTLE

Pembrokeshire

CAERFI BAY

What’s it all about?

All images, excluding Cwm Deri Vineyard image, are courtesy of © Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2021) Cymru Wales

This county in southwest Wales is famous for its rugged coastline of cliffs, caves and windswept beaches, all of which make up the UK’s only coastal national park. You can also expect colourful seaside towns, more castles than Disney’s back catalogue and coveted wildlife.

Postcard-perfect towns

Tenby is a quintessential seaside destination, with rows of Georgian houses painted ice cream shades, a pretty harbour with bobbing boats, a lively town stuffed with pubs and fish and chip shops and four surprisingly unspoilt beaches. The walled town is ripe for wandering, with other attractions including a fort, lifeboat station and ruined castle.

Charming Manorbier has pretty cottages, a Norman church, a cosy pub and a quaint tea room. Its lovely beach is backed by an imposing castle.

Solva is a colourful village with a long, narrow harbour. Upper Solva, clinging to the steep green hills above, and Lower Solva, at the harbour’s hilt, are both home to great pubs, cafes, art galleries and local shops.

Get sporty

KAYAKING AT PORTHCLAIS

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Pembrokeshire is a haven for watersports including surfing, stand up paddle boarding, kayking, scuba diving and coasteering. The latter involves exploring the coast by scrambling over rocks, jumping and swimming, with the chance to explore sea caves and gullies with an experienced guide.

HARBOUR BEAC

H, TENBY

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Discover one of Pembrokeshire’s exciting islands CALDEY ISLAND A 20-minute boat ride from Tenby, this island is owned by an order of monks who reside in the pretty whitewashed abbey with its terracotta roof, set above a steep rock garden.

RAMSEY ISLAND This island is owned by the bird charity, the RSPB. It’s a breeding stronghold for the chough, a rare type of crow, home to a huge cliff where diving gannets can be seen and hosts the largest colony of grey seals in southern Britain.

SKOMER ISLAND The country’s largest island is a National Nature Reserve with the largest, most accessible colony of seabirds in southern Britain.

The cliffs are teeming with fulmars, razorbills, guillemots and kittiwakes, while puffins waddle the footpaths and their burrows dot the clifftop turf.

UK’s smallest city

Tiny St. Davids was bestowed city status thanks to its cathedral.

Pilgrims have flocked here since Wales’ patron saint built a monastery in the 6th century. His shrine is still in the dusky-mauve cathedral, which is tucked in a grassy hollow beneath the rooftops of the diminutive city.

Make sure you wander the village-like streets past charming stone cottages and stop to visit a tea room, ice cream parlour or pub.

BOAT TO CALDEY ISLAND

Walk the path

The Pembrokeshire Coastal path stretches for 186 epic miles and its ascents and descents are the equivalent of climbing Everest.

Walkers are rewarded with astounding scenery, including 58 beaches and 14 harbours. Backed by rolling green fields, the dramatic coast has been carved by glaciers, volcanic forces and surging seas.

The path is edged with pink sea thrift and golden gorse and you can spot birds and basking seals.

Highlights include the lonely remains of the medieval chapel of St. Non’s, birthplace of St, David; the Green Bridge of Wales, a natural arch pounded by surf and crammed with crying seabirds; the Blue Lagoon, formed from an old slate quarry, and many golden beaches, including Freshwater West which was used in a Harry Potter film.

The coastal bus service, which has various cute names like the Puffin Shuttle and Poppit Rocket, makes it easy to walk sections of the path.

Pembroke Castle is an impressive medieval fortress where Henry VII was born.

Explore hidden passages and enjoy views from the towers

Don’t forget to look inland

Visit the idyllic Cwm Deri vineyard to wander its woodland walk amongst the vines and enjoy a tasting of Welsh wine. Or walk the wild moorland and heath of the Preseli Mountains, where you can see across Wales to Snowdonia or, on a clear day, across the sea to Ireland.

CWM DERI VINEYARD PUFFINS TAKE FLIGHT ON SKOMER ISLAND

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The spectacular landscapes of Arizona are the perfect backdrop for an exciting escape. The famous Grand Canyon is just hours from Las Vegas but out-dazzles Sin City with its epic beauty by day and by night, when a blanket of stars illuminate it. Beyond this ancient wonderland, nestled in pine-clad peaks and ochre desert plains, Arizona’s other stars also shine bright.

SUPAI WATERFALL

Whether you’re a nature lover, a style seeker, a history buff or an avid foodie, the grand mountains, hypnotic deserts and eclectic cities of Arizona will captivate you.

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Deep and lasting connections are made when travellers respect and protect the destinations we journey through. Appreciate Arizona – a new partnership between The Arizona Office of Tourism and the Leave No Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics – highlights seven principles to help visitors preserve the state’s iconic natural wonders, while enjoying an exciting and sustainable trip in this spectacular slice of the USA.

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BE PREPARED: While it’s known for its incredible desert landscapes, Arizona actually has many different terrains and temperatures, so prepare for this when you pack.

STICK TO THE PATH: Keeping to designated trails and campsites helps to protect Arizona’s wonderful and unique plants and animals.

DON’T BE TRASHY: Even biodegradable or organic rubbish can negatively impact fragile ecosystems, so always make

2.

3.

sure you take any rubbish away with you and pick up any you see.

LEAVE IT ALONE: Pine cones left on the forest floor will grow into trees. Red rocks provide shelter for desert critters. Leave just footprints and take only memories and photos home with you.

DON’T PLAY WITH FIRE: Arizona’s hot, dry climate makes fire safety of paramount importance, so always use designated fire pits and keep your camp fire safe, small and attended.

RESPECT WILDLIFE: Wild Arizona is home to over 800 animal species, including black bears, rattlesnakes and pumas, so be aware of wildlife when hiking, and observe from a safe distance.

SHARE THE OUTDOORS: With peaceful, natural vistas beloved by locals, and spiritual destinations held sacred by Arizona’s American Indian tribes, join them in showing love and respect for the land as you pass through.

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5.

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Desert dreams in Tucson

“That Arizona sky, burnin’ in your eyes,” sang Ally (Lady Gaga) to her rock star partner Jack (Bradley Cooper) in the film A Star is Born.

Hiking the pools and waterfalls of Sabino Canyon in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains at sunset, the song is my inner soundtrack A stone’s throw from vibrant Downtown Tucson, technicolour landscapes glow beneath vivid desert skies. Intense purples and pinks paint the heavens, while sanguine sand shifts under my feet.

Shimmering gold dusts the iconic saguaro cacti, before the giants morph into a troop of silhouettes, dancing across the indigo horizon into twilight, when a billion stars burst through the night.

The stunning Sonoran Desert and magnificent mountains that surround Tucson are adventure playgrounds, with miles of trails for

hiking, biking, rock climbing and even skiing at the right time of year.

Saddle up for a stay at a dude ranch and unleash your inner cowpoke or check in to a glamorous guest ranch like the Hacienda del Sol, following in the footsteps of Hollywood legends Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Then take a spin to see the gleaming white ‘Sistine Chapel of North America’, the spectacular Spanish Mission San Xavier del Bac, and the adobe DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Museum, the home and studio of late Arizona artist, Ted DeGrazia.

Epicureans will appreciate Tucson’s 4,000-year-old culinary heritage. An exciting fusion of Native American and Mexican tradition has made it a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, with restaurants, food festivals and farmers’ markets showcasing local ingredients served with unique flair.

CATHEDRAL ROCK

Spiritual This International Dark Sky City boasts a spectacular display of stars at night, but has plenty of attractions to dazzle visitors by day. Surrounded by the lush Coconino National Forest, Sedona sits beneath the stunning ochre rock formations of the Oak Creek Canyon. Dramatic landscapes and mesmerising light have long drawn artists to the Red Rock Country, including surrealist painter Max Ernst, who moved here with his artist wife Dorothea Tanning in the late 1940s. Other creatives soon followed and today Sedona is a magnet for contemporary artists, with wonderful studios and galleries to wander and an annual autumn arts festival.

Once inhabited by the Sinagua Indians, Sedona is considered to be a site of great spiritual significance. Visitors can explore

VAN LIFE

CAMPING IN THE DESERT

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P hoenix has urban flair

SEDONA SEEN FROM SCHNEBLY HILL

It’s 1am in the morning, but warm air still whips through my hair as I ride my electric scooter past the elaborate murals shining under the street lights of Phoenix’s Roosevelt Row. I’m riding one of the city’s e-scooters through one of America’s top 10 city arts districts to the Found:Re – a boutique hotel which champions local artists. Its painting of a naked, hirsute Burt Reynolds, reclining above the check-in desk, resplendent in a lustrous blonde wig is not easily forgotten. Like Burt, Phoenix is a little bit cheeky and lots of fun (the scooter rides are thankfully less hairy!).

Dashing mixologists shake cocktails behind deliciously decadent bars, while boundarypushing chefs head up some of America’s most innovative eateries.

At Barrio Café the James Beard Award-nominated chef, Silvana Salcido Esparza, serves regional

Mexican dishes learned from her grandmother – like Nana’s Chile Verde – with a modern twist.

The city is bursting with entrepreneurial spirit, from handcrafting makers like the Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company, to the eccentric Lucky’s Indoor Outdoor, a patio space with food trucks, craft cocktails and an array of games to play the night away.

There’s history here, too. The Heard Museum is home to a staggering collection of American Indian artefacts and offers an insightful glimpse into the traditions of 22 tribes and the Hohokam culture, which flourished here from the 1100s to the 1400s. At The Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park, visitors can wander through a prehistoric Hohokam site, while the Desert Botanical Garden showcases some of Arizona’s prickliest patrons: cacti.

l Sedona historic Sinaguan sites at Palatki and Honanki, participate in healing therapies and workshops, join a tour to investigate the powerful vortexes believed to be at play in the canyon or, for the ultimate Sedona experience, try a spa treatment that uses indigenous materials like red rock clay and local plants.

Sedona is Arizona’s first destination with a sustainable tourism plan, offering exciting opportunities for voluntourism, while the Walk Sedona programme encourages visitors to explore the city and its surrounds on foot.

Google Sedona’s Secret Seven for inspiration on some of the most epic places to enjoy biking, jeep tours, hot air ballooning, hiking, picnics, arts and culture, stargazing or spiritual pursuits: everything you could need for an adventure of the spirit, body and mind.

DEN

Kevin Kaminski

THE DESERT BOTANICAL GAR

PHOENIX VISTAS ON THE MORMON TRAIL

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Scottsdale has th Whether you’re after a pampering escape, a wild adventure, a round of golf or a shopping extravaganza, the cosmopolitan city of Scottsdale and its surrounding Sonoran Desert will deliver.

Basking under year-round sunshine, Scottsdale’s 70-plus boutique hotels and luxury resorts tempt travellers to stay and pamper poolside, but that would be missing out on a mountain of desert fun.

The city’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve is the largest urban preserve in North America, with over 30,000 acres of cacti forests, plus hiking, biking and riding trails that offer extreme thrills or peaceful solitude. Roar through the wilderness on a rugged 4WD jeep tour, or float silently over ancient landscapes in a hot air balloon.

Start your day the best way with an early morning hike on Pinnacle

PRESCOTT’S COURTHOUSE

HIGH DESERT HIKING FOUR SEASONS SCOTTSDALE

Once the territorial capital of Arizona, Prescott is the pictureperfect Arizona destination: a city rich in history, surrounded by spirit-lifting ponderosa pine forests, towering granite formations, big skies and ancient escarpments.

Set at an elevation of 1,600 metres, the region enjoys four mild seasons, fresh mountain air and cooler temperatures than Phoenix, making it a great place to chill out.

This is the True West, offering space for endless adventures and over 450 miles of well-maintained outdoor trail systems for hikers, bikers and horse riders. Saddle up and roam the beautiful high desert on a southwestern safari, looking out for some of the native wildlife – pronghorn antelope, white-tailed deer, and pig-like peccaries, also known as javelinas.

Alternatively, you can go for

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a motorised spin through the beautiful backcountry on an e-bike or 4WD jeep, while bald eagles soar gracefully overhead. Explore the region’s waterways by kayak or canoe, or paddle amidst the pines and granite boulders on Watson, Willow or Goldwater Lakes.

Home to the World’s Oldest Rodeo – celebrated every 4th of July – Prescott is the perfect place to indulge your cowboy or cowgirl dreams. Hit the saloons of the world-famous Whiskey Row and follow in the swaggering footsteps of Western legends Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday by raising a glass at The Palace, the oldest bar – and business – in Arizona, dating from 1877. The bar has been the scene of many a historic gun fight, but be warned: the county courthouse is just across the street, so keep that Colt 45 in your holster, partner.

Christian Horan Photography

Wild times out west in Prescott

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he art of luxury

A STARRY BUFFALO PARK

Peak or Camelback Mountain, then refuel with an al fresco lunch at one of Scottsdale’s eclectic, award-winning restaurants. Later, dip into one of the region’s 50 spas to indulge in wellness treatments inspired by ancient Native American healing traditions.

Don’t miss the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Taliesin West, the winter home of celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright, before seeing the art and meeting the creative community on a Thursday-evening ArtWalk in the historic Arts District.

If shopping is your bag, Scottsdale is definitely your place. Browse local boutiques in the Old Town’s Fifth Avenue Shopping District, head to the Southwest’s largest shopping destination at Fashion Square, or stroll the designer stores of Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter under blue skies.

MOUNTAIN VISTAS

F lagstaff: City of Seven Wonders Located in Arizona’s northern high country, Flagstaff offers myriad things to do whatever the season, with the freshest mountain air to power your adventures. Surrounded by the world’s largest strand of ponderosa pine forest, Flagstaff’s year-round colour palette is breathtaking. Cobalt blue summer skies linger over the red and purple foliage of fall, before sparkling white dusts the peaks and melts into silver rivers in spring.

With over 30 annual festivals heralding music, culture, art and the seasons, Flagstaff loves to celebrate, from The Heritage Festival and Native Art Market to the Flagstaff Chili Festival Cookoff and bluegrass music festival, Pickin’ in the Pines.

Neighbour to the Navajo – the U.S.A.’s largest Native American nation – Flagstaff is one of the highlights along the country’s

infamous Route 66, and the world’s first designated International Dark Sky City. It has a rich lunar history, with the US Geological Survey Branch of Astrogeology providing mapping for space missions and training for the three Apollo 11 astronauts – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins – who made the first journey to the Moon.

Flagstaff’s earthly pleasures are pretty spectacular, too. Known as the City of Seven Wonders, seven of America’s most iconic national parks and monuments are within easy reach: Grand Canyon National Park, Wupatki National Monument, Oak Creek Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano, San Francisco Peaks, Coconino National Forest and Walnut Canyon – all waiting to be explored on foot, by bike or on four wheels (if you don’t have your lunar rover at the ready).

DESERT HIKING

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PERIOD POVERTY

in numbers

Bloody Good Period provides menstrual products to asylum seekers, refugees and others who can’t afford them. Period poverty is a global issue defined by a lack of access to period products, compounded with a lack of informed choice of products and menstrual education.

4

100

NE IN FIVE

refugees said they struggled “most of the time” to find pads

£37.75

PER WEEK 32

£4,800

NUMBER OF ORGANISATIONS BLOODY GOOD PERIOD HAS PARTNERED WITH AROUND THE COUNTRY TO HELP PEOPLE HAVE BLOODY GOOD PERIODS

Number of London dr services and groups cu distributing period pro

R E V O

0 0 0 , 2

The average amount someone spends on sanitary products in a lifetime

is the amount asylum seekers receive in state support – hardly enough to live on, let alone buy sanitary products, and much lower than the standard level of £73.10 for those over 25

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N p U r p

10%

PERCENTAGE OF GIRLS IN THE UK ARE UNABLE TO AFFORD PERIOD WEAR ACCORDING TO PLAN INTERNATIONAL UK

MORE THAN

1 IN 10

rop-in currently oducts

Number of people in the UK per month receiving period products

The majority of people who seek asylum are NOT ALLOWED to work

75%

OF THE 78 WOMEN INTERVIEWED

BY CHARITY WOMEN FOR REFUGEE WOMEN STRUGGLED TO OBTAIN PERIOD PRODUCTS WHILE DESTITUTE, FORCING THEM TO OVERUSE A PRODUCT, IMPROVISE OR BEG

refugees said they struggled to find period products throughout the entire time that they were destitute – that could be many years

Over

67,000 products

Number of period packs delivered to food banks and refuges, organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees during the Covid-19 pandemic

FIND OUT MORE AT CHARITABLE.TRAVEL/BLOODY-GOOD-PERIOD

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elf to K r

Karsting off

That first day I went kayaking through the mangroves of neighbouring Thalane Bay, crossing emerald waters to land on tiny wild beaches at the foot of giant jungle-clad karsts and briefly taking on a hitchhiker, a monkey which landed suddenly on my bow.

Traditional longtail boats

Krabi Province is famous for rock climbing thanks to its sheer limestone cliffs

K ayaking Thalane Bay

Take a swing Banana Bungalows’ jetty

Climb 1,237 steps up to the Tiger Cave Temple for amazing views of the Andaman Sea 34

urs yo

By Laura Gelder

Dock of the Bay

I arrived at Banana Bungalows in a taxi, having flown London to Bangkok and then Krabi after a fourhour layover. I was feeling pretty crabby but a joyful wave of nostalgia washed over me as I stood waiting to check in – the place took me right back to my carefree year of backpacking.

The brightly-painted palmthatched restaurant is open on one side and has raised bamboo platforms where you can sit on a cushion and sip a cold beer from the honesty fridge, adding to a tally next to your name.

There’s a book swap with rumpled paperbacks in several languages.

Cats slump listlessly on cushions, fans whirring crankily above them, stirring the thick humidity.

I followed a path that cut through the mangroves onto a rickety jetty where shaded hammocks rippled in the breeze and deck chairs waited, their stripes solar-bleached and saltspeckled. I sat down and gazed across Phang Nga Bay, where hundreds of limestone karsts rose haphazardly from the turquoise sea.

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Postcard from

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Back on the deck chair again, as the light faded that evening the tide receded in tandem, the mangrove behind me seeming to swallow it greedily with strange popping sounds accompanying the electric sawing of the cicadas.

By then, waves no longer lapped below and I hopped down onto wet sand and walked out on the sea bed. As I strolled a loud rustling accompanied me, stopping whenever I did.

Eventually I realised it was thousands of tiny crabs running from me. The karsts faded to watercolour smudges, purple against the coral-hued horizon as the haunting sound of the call to prayer echoed from a mosque somewhere inland.

If you want to find peace, I recommend Krabi.

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WHY I

donated...

Emily Rowe spent five months volunteering in Peru with the charity HOOP and saw first-hand how they change lives for the better In 2018 I decided to go on a gap year after school and I came across HOOP (which stands for Helping Overcome Obstacles Peru) while I was researching places to volunteer.

I wanted to improve my language skills as well as give back using my skills as a native English speaker.

The main aim of HOOP is to teach English and give children in Peru an extra life skill and the chance to break the cycle of poverty by getting better employment. The kids end up with fantastic English because they learn with native speakers in a fun environment. There are other issues in the community, including domestic violence, and HOOP helps to provide a support network including social workers, psychologists and doctors.

I lived in a house in Arequipa, an amazing city in Peru surrounded by three volcanoes that you can see from wherever you stand. It has a beautiful, sunny climate and it’s In striking distance of Peru’s beautiful mountains, canyons, beaches and Machu Picchu.

Being part of an international group of volunteers was great fun. We would go out to the school every day and

meet the kids for an hour of English at you because they know you are classes followed by another activity, there to bring positive things. I know like art, helping with homework or people felt like they were walking into just playing. In the evenings we ran a safe space when they joined us. fundraising activities.

I fell in love with South America and We lived in the city centre but I’ve been trying to go back ever since I the community and school that left! I’m still in contact with volunteers HOOP operates in is based is on the and members of the community outskirts of Arequipa where there is and I helped run some lessons via a real change in conditions. Driving Whatsapp during the pandemic. there each day on the bus felt like In 2019 I joined other volunteers to transitioning between two different raise money for HOOP by doing the cities. There were frequent water Three Peaks Challenge, walking up and power cuts which really affected the UK’s three tallest mountains in 24 the community. Kids struggled to do hours. We started with Ben Nevis in school work without the internet. the early hours of the morning and The children wanted to know all conquered Snowdon by sunrise on about the UK and see pictures – they Easter Sunday. It was all worth it to even wrote stories about visiting the raise just under £5,000. queen! They learnt so much My experience with HOOP by meeting people from taught me how much all over the world. we take for granted in The Peruvians the UK. The kindness are such friendly and giving nature HOOP is building a new facility in people but when of the people I Arequipa in order to better deliver its life-changing services of education you walk around met in Peru, who and healthcare and have a lasting the village in your were much less impact on children and their families HOOP t-shirt the advantaged than in the community. hoopperu.org.uk whole community is me, was truly smiling and waving inspiring.

A place for change

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Responsible travel

T

Back for

he world of tourism is so full of confusing buzz-words – responsible travel, eco-lodges, green tours, sustainable tourism – that sometimes it’s hard to know what to focus on to be a better traveller, and easy to be duped into believing something is better than it really is.

Earth Changers is a company committed to helping consumers to navigate this confusing world and make informed decisions. Its founder, Vicky Smith, has worked in the travel industry for over 20 years as a ski guide, a resort manager and a game ranger, amongst other roles, but now focuses on tourism that has a positive impact.

She thinks that the most important thing for travellers to remember is that

36

responsible tourism is a decision-making process rather than a type of tourism.

“You can go on a theme park holiday which is responsible or a glamping break which is not, she explains. “Being a responsible traveller is about taking responsibility for the choices you make and the impacts that they have, and also measuring and monitoring them.”

Embarking on this decision-making process can be tricky but there are a number of goals that it helps to have in mind when you’re planning a holiday: • Mitigate climate change • Protect natural environments • Ensure your money goes to locals, not multinational corporations, and helps to level up poorer communities.

• Avoid contributing to over-tourism

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Responsible travel

The covid-forced holiday hiatus has created a demand for travel as well as a desire to do it better than before. looks at how to be a responsible traveller

Laura Gelder

g or ood • Tackle or raise awareness of inequalities relating to gender/sexuality/race

NOBODY’S PERFECT

Vicky acknowledges that the many options available to travellers now are confusing and says it’s important to remember that responsible tourism isn’t black and white. “We work with some suppliers who are focused on helping wildlife and others who are more about communities,” she says. “The fact is, we can’t all do everything and it’s up to the consumer to decide where they most want to make an impact.”

It’s easy to get caught up in jargon, but, Vicky explains, it’s not as complicated as you might think. “The official definition of responsible tourism is making better

places for people to live in and better places for people to visit,” she says.

“Sustainable tourism is the utopia we want to get to – where we can continue tourism without it negatively impacting future generations – but responsible tourism is how we get there.

Simply put, all responsible tourism is based on the triple bottom line: economy, society and environment, or profit, people and planet. Consumers need to look for companies that are balancing these considerations rather than chasing profit above all.

But if a company claims to be responsible or sustainable, how can we trust that they really are? “To avoid being green washed you must look for evidence and ask for data,” says Vicky.

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Responsible travel

Local tour guidnetisc o ffer an authee per s pectiv

Choose low carbon transpor t

“A company who is trying to green wash you may focus on tangible things, like plastic,” says Vicky. “But it’s the behind the scenes stuff, like energy, water and waste management, which has a bigger impact. It’s all very well banning plastic straws but if you’re paying your staff badly or using dirty energy, that doesn’t make up for it.”

There are certification schemes out there to help consumers identify responsible tourism companies but this is also confusing. There are close to 200 such schemes, relating to different destinations (some have their own), or different facets of tourism (cruising or hotels for example) but ones that are actually credible are few and far between.

Luckily, the UK has one of the oldest and most reliable certification schemes. Green Tourism has certified about 2,500 properties in the UK and it’s now

JOIN OUR WOMEN-LED EXPERIENCES IN LONDON Our new range of tours was designed to both empower women and celebrate multiculturalism within our cities.

The tour guides arrived in the UK from Albania, Ethiopia and Morocco with little money, limited English and no connections. Now, they’re taking travellers into their communities and showing first-hand how traditions and cultures can transcend borders.

15% of all ticket sales go to Women in Travel, which reinvests 100% of profits into the training and mentoring of underprivileged women.

Learn more:

https://charitable.travel/women-in-travel-cic/

used abroad too. Otherwise, Vicky advises heading to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s website for a list of the certification schemes which it has officially approved as being trustworthy.

She also points out that certifications are not a catch-all tool. “There are great companies out there who are committed to sustainability but aren’t certified and others who pursue certifications for good PR when being responsible really isn’t part of their core business practise,” she says.

THE GOLDEN RULES

Vicky’s overall message is that there is no one solution but if you care enough to think about it then you are on the path to being a responsible traveller. Consulting a trusted travel professional is a good way to ensure you make smart holiday choices but you can also consider these golden rules for responsible travel:

Responsible travel

Buy souvenirs from the source

Research before you book: The most

important thing is to educate yourself on the destination before you go to make sure it’s a sustainable choice and to identify problems and opportunities. You might discover that a resort is overcrowded and therefore choose an alternative that will ensure less pressure on the former and much needed money going to the latter. You may find that a destination has a particularly marginalised community and be able to focus on hearing their story or helping them. Travelling out of season can help stem over-tourism.

Try to use green transport: If possible go for

low carbon options – trains and bicycles rather than planes and cars. If you do fly, going for one longer holiday rather than lots of little ones each year is preferable and keep it to one flight in and one out. Walk, cycle or use public transport where possible when you are there.

Consider your accommodation: Go for locally

owned or at least locally managed hotels and look for ones that have a proven track record of being sustainable and giving back to the community they reside in.

Eat local: Eat at local restaurants as much as possible to support the local economy. Local establishments are more likely to use local ingredients but watch what you order – you could try to avoid imported food or drinks,

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Responsible travel

eat what is in season and avoid unethical produce like foie gras or dishes with unsustainable ingredients.

Shop local: Try to buy souvenirs

that have been locally made, not mass produced and imported – if possible buy direct from artisans.

Check that products you purchase aren’t impacting endangered species or the environment – a coral necklace contributes to reef destruction.

Ex plore places by bike

Visit sites that are off the beaten track so that you’re contributing to communities in need

Choose activities wisely: Book

tours that are low impact on the environment, like kayaking rather than jet skiing. Visit sites that are off the beaten track so that you’re contributing to communities in need and reducing pressure on more popular sites. You’ll also have less crowds and discover new things. Use local guides who will give authentic insights and amplify local voices.

E V R NUEMOURS K U T ! p l e H o t e r We're He

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More people are diagnosed with NF than those with Hereditary Muscular Dystrophy, Huntingdon’s Disease and Cystic Fibrosis combined, yet few including medics have heard of the condition. charitable.travel/nerve-tumours-uk info@nervetumours.org.uk Head Office: 020 8439 1234 Helpline: 07939 046 030 /NerveTumoursUK

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WATER WORLD Chile’s Lake District is a land of serene lakes, bubbling hot springs and rushing rivers with fragrant forests and alpine-style villages of cute wooden cottages. Highlights include Swissstyle Puerto Varas, perched on the edge of Lake Llanquihue and overlooked by two snow-dipped volcanoes. The Pacific port of Puerto Montt is the gateway to the pretty green islands of Chiloe.

COLD AS ICE Southern Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park is an epic canvas framed by its famous snowdusted granite horns, where guanaco, foxes, deer and puma roam windswept grasslands and condors soar above. Don’t miss the mighty Grey Glacier, which tumbles into a lake where you can kayak around bobbing blue icebergs.

CITY & VINES The cosmopolitan capital of Santiago is watched over by the snow-capped Andes and offers grand plazas, leafy parks and vibrant neighbourhoods bursting with café culture and latin flavour and fervour.

Just an hour’s drive away, the bucolic Central Valley is home to historic wineries and rolling vineyards producing renowned cabernet sauvignon.

Four views of CHILE

Stretching nearly 2,700 miles from top to bottom, Chile is a land of beautiful extremes and diverse vistas

HIGH & DRY The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is the driest place on earth but its relatively high altitude means it’s not as hot as you might think. The Mars-like landscape of jagged orange rocks is dotted with ashen volcanoes and steaming geysers, while vivid blue lakes and dazzling white salt flats are home to flocks of pink flamingos who thrive in the unique saline environment.

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PALM COCKTAIL & EATERY

CHESTER CATHEDRAL

Cheshire

Famous for silk, salt, cheese, and nowadays its famous footballing residents, Cheshire’s rolling vistas, pretty towns and idyllic villages are just the ticket, says

Jenny Schippers

Friday lunch

At the heart of Cheshire sits the Roman walled city of Chester, easily accessible by train and road. It’s famous for its black and white timbered buildings and historic ‘Rows’.

Clustered around the River Dee, which flows through the city centre, are independent shops and eateries, making it the perfect base for a weekend break.

Oddfellows is a boutique Georgian house hotel in the city entre with one-of-a-kind interiors. From here, the Roman walls that surround the city are within easy walking distance and will allow you to get your bearings whilst spotting the historic sites.

Follow the walls as they run next to the river, and over the stunning Eastgate Clock Bridge (made famous in the opening titles of TV soap Hollyoaks!) before dropping down onto the high street. From here you can enjoy a wander through the Grosvenor precinct before exiting onto the famous Chester Rows of Bridge Street.

If you need a pick-me-up at any point, grab a coffee at the Jaunty Goat.

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Settle yourself into the Palm Cocktail and Eatery. This pretty pink bar serves a creative afternoon tea, complete with edible lipstick, as well as bottomless brunches in an instagrammable setting.

To counteract the cake, take a leisurely stroll past your hotel and over the Old Dee Bridge towards the racecourse. Or take a boat trip along the river. Chester Boat cruises depart every 30 minutes and go upriver, under the Queen’s Park pedestrian suspension bridge and past the Chester Meadows. Disembark to walk through the Roman Gardens past the ruined amphitheatre before looping back to your hotel for a refreshing drink in the ‘Secret Garden’.

Friday evening

Start at Liquor and Co. on Watergate Street for an aperitif before dinner at 1539 Restaurant. The AA Rosette establishment has a stunning position overlooking Chester Racecourse and is named after the year horse racing began in the city.

Book a table on the terrace if its warm.

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Friday afternoon

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Saturday morning

Following a hearty breakfast at Hanky Panky Pancakes, drive out of Chester towards the ancient woodland of Delamere Forest. If you’re the adventurous type you’ll be spoilt for choice – there are miles of walking and cycling trails, Segway tours available and a Go Ape high ropes course.

Saturday lunch

The family-owned Fishpool Inn is an 18th Century coaching pub-turned multiaward-winning gastro pub so book ahead to avoid disappointment. On a sunny day take a seat outside in the manicured gardens for views over the fields beyond.

During winter, cosy up in front of one of the open log fires whilst sampling one of the famous pies, followed by a knickerbockerglory if you have room. his all-female

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Head back towards Chester via the medieval Beeston Castle, sitting proudly on the Mid Cheshire Ridge. Follow the signs

towards the village of Tattenhall and you will arrive at the impressive Ice Cream Farm. Considered to be the world’s largest ice cream parlour, it has over 50 flavours of ice cream as well as a variety of activities, including adventure golf.

Saturday evening

On returning to your hotel enjoy a couple of hours relaxing before dinner in the nearby village of Hoole, a 20 minute walk away or a quick taxi ride. Pretty Hoole won the 2016 Great British High Street Award thanks to its huge choice of independent retailers and restaurants. Enjoy dinner at the cosy Sticky Walnut Bistro (pre-booking essential) and then have a night cap at The Suburbs, an intimate bar just over the road.

Sunday morning

Check out of your hotel and visit The Flower Cup Cafe for a unique botanical brunch before leaving. If you have the afternoon free there are a number of magnificent day spas close by. The super-sleek Carden Park Hotel or the uberstylish Grosvenor Pulford Hotel are great options. If spas aren’t your thing, head to the famous Chester Zoo for a Sunday safari.

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A day in

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THE LIFE OF...

Darren Naggs, Captain of the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s SV Tenacious, the only tall ship in the world designed to be sailed by a mixed-ability crew

I really do have the best job! I get to see the world

and spend time with fantastic people who have great stories to tell, all while doing what I love sailing! I’m responsible for everything that happens on board the ship but I’m supported by a fantastic team, both onboard and ashore.

Anyone can join our crew for a voyage and we have people of all ages and backgrounds, including people with impairments or health conditions. The experience is deeply immersive and at times challenging – the sea can be a wild place – but Tenacious brings diverse teams together and ensures everyone is treated as equal and contributes to the best of their ability.

A typical day...

...starts with a good look at the weather because what we do and where we go is dictated by it. I like that because it simplifies my life and means I maintain a connection to nature, something that’s missing from many people’s lives.

After breakfast we decide a plan.

No two days are the same and every day is an adventure. Overseeing the smooth operation of the ship takes up my day but there’s usually time for a brew

TENACIOUS IN SCOTLAND

Ahoy!

The Jubilee Sailing Trust makes a difference to people’s lives via adventure, particularly disabled people, those with long-term mental or physical health issues, the socially isolated and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. jst.org.uk

and a chat with my shipmates - it’s important to communicate.

The best bit...

...is sharing amazing experiences with my shipmates and colleagues. We see lots of whales and dolphins, sometimes leaping but mainly coasting along on the waves at the front of the ship, it’s called bow riding. I once saw a snowy owl on St. Kilda in Scotland.

I have to be prepared...

...to change plans or react to a situation instantly. We may be entering a new harbour which requires tricky manoeuvrers, or we might be under sail but need to adjust our course.

I have learnt...

A MOTLEY CREW

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...that people are inherently open, tolerant, friendly and positive. It’s inspiring to see how people draw strength, experience and inspiration from each other whilst onboard, even if they don’t realise it at the time!

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‘Fresh spider crabs £3’ trumpets the sign. ‘Rhubarb £1 a bunch’ says another. Drive around Guernsey’s narrow, granitewalled lanes and you’ll find a cornucopia of front garden honestyboxes selling homegrown produce for a snip. Flowers, eggs, fruit, vegetables, jams – even live lobster – are all for sale so have cash handy.

You’ll find more goodies at the Saturday morning farmers’ market at Sausmarez Manor, a stately country house with family entertainment.

B

LEARN ABOUT SEAWEED

Tasty ways to enjoy GUERNSEY A little patch of unspoilt England lying just off France, the pastoral island of Guernsey is a paradise for foodies, says

Nigel Tisdall

DELIGHT IN DAIRY The pretty, honey-coloured cows adorning Guernsey’s bucolic countryside aren’t just for photos. The breed’s purity has been protected since 1819 and its rich milk becomes bright yellow butter, cream and cheese. Look out for yummy Torteval cheeses, produced single-handedly by a nurse who worked for the NHS for 25 years before ‘wondering what to do next’. Fudge is another treat while trying delicious ice creams from the 13 farms that make up Guernsey Dairy, available in restaurants and seaside kiosks, is essential research.

All images courtesy of VisitGuernsey.com

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‘Bladderwrack’s good for sunburn,’ enthuses Ben Tustin as he leads a low-tide tour across Port Soif Bay. The founder of the Guernsey Seaweed company is on a mission to promote the health and culinary benefits of seaweed, which is called ‘vraic’ in the Channel Islands. There are some 200 varieties here from Irish Moss to pepper dulse, the ‘truffle of the sea’.

The pandemic inspired Ben to create a seaweed hand sanitiser while his wife, Naomi, produces nutritious seasonings and rubs.

Their story is as lovely as the seaborne gifts they sell.

TASTE SOME CIDER Guernsey lies 30 miles west of Normandy so it’s no surprise it is home to bountiful apple orchards. Most farms once had a pressoir (crusher) but today cider production is concentrated in the Fauxquets Valley. Here family-run Rocquette Cider offers a 90-minute guided tour to learn how the harvest from its 5,000 trees is crafted into tangy organic ciders. The generous tastings, accompanied by locallymade cheese and chutney, are a merry affair.

CORNER AN ORMER The ormer is a rare Guernsey shellfish, similar to abalone, that has long been part of island life. It can only be fished between January and April when moon and tides permit, and this has to be done in the cold water without a wetsuit or snorkel using a special hook to prize them off the rocks. The catch is then soaked, shelled, scrubbed, hammered and browned before being slow-casseroled with pork belly and beans. Is it worth it? You decide.

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Iceland

Primal dream If you’re looking to connect to the full force of nature, perhaps to feel the enormity of the pandemic shrink amongst ancient and seismic forces, head to Iceland, says

Mark Stratton

Saxhóll Crater Djúpalonssandur

B

Blue Lagoon Fagradalsfjall Volcan

46

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Iceland

M

y skin prickles at the heat of an erupting volcano, glacial ice crunches beneath my crampons, I listen to the plaintive cries of curlews scything across windswept peninsulas and let hot spring minerals revitalise my body.

The problem with Iceland though, is that when I describe it to friends I find myself lapsing into the sort of hyperbole more familiar in a tourist board brochure. True, Iceland invites superlatives but more than this, it offers a genuine reconnection with nature’s wildest forces.

If a North Atlantic latitude of 64°N fashions a glacial landscape, then it is the diverging tectonic plates pulling Iceland apart that lend geothermal showmanship.

Something I am aware of on my latest trip shortly before landing at Keflavik Airport, when the pilot swoops low enough to get a better look at Fagradalsfjall – Iceland’s newest active volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Perhaps not for the faint-hearted.

Nonetheless, we arrive safely, and I check into the Northern Lights Inn, one of my favourite accommodations on the peninsula.

Iceland

The inn nestles within a basalt lava plain where superheated steam hisses from cracks in the rock. It’s rather clichéd to compare such desolate fiery landscapes to Dante’s Inferno, yet I suspect that if the book’s hero had discovered Reykjanes on his descent to explore hell he might have pleaded with his guide Virgil to return to the surface.

Indeed, it’s all brimstone and fire during a first morning on the remarkable Reykjanes peninsula. At Seltún, I find soils tainted canaryyellow, green, and ruby-red caused by emitting sulphur reacting with the ground’s minerals. The air has a gassy, eggy smell in a fantasy valley of bubbling pools and geysers.

This is all courtesy of the diverging tectonic plates – something best witnessed nearby at Bruin milli Heimsalfa – the so named ‘Bridge of Continents’ near Sandvík, where a footbridge spans a shallow chasm marking the exact place where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pull apart at approximately 2cm a year. On one end of the bridge, I stand on the North American continent, but when I stroll across to the other side, I’m back in Europe.

Iceland is the breeding ground for about 60 per cent of the world's Atlantic puffins

Vatnajökull National Park Breidafjödur Reykjavik Jökulsárlón no Solheimajokull Glacier

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Smoke on the horiz on

Iceland

GATEWAY TO THE UNDERWORLD

FAGRADALSFJALL

When volcanoes go bad

Volcanoes are beautiful but potentially deadly. UNICEF provided assistance to almost 5,000 children affected by the eruption of St. Vincent & the Grenadines' La Soufriere this year. unicef.org.uk

These, however, are hors d’oeuvres prior to the spectacle of Fagradalsfjall. All morning, I see a billowing mushroomshaped plume on the horizon. It probably suggests 'keep away', but I’m drawn towards Iceland’s newest eruption like a moth to a flame. Emerging within a valley, Fagradalsfjall began to vent its spleen back on March 19 this year and, being accessible on foot and close to Keflavik Airport, it has quickly become Iceland’s mustsee attraction. I park up east of the town of Grindavik to begin an hour’s hike up a bare hillside currently acting as a buffer holding up the flow of Fagradalsfjall’s lava towards the sea.

Yet I’m far from alone ascending the trail. I’d been told that when Fagradalsfjall erupted locals were grilling sausages over the lava with long sticks. Now I see a group of school children on a geography

field trip, and smile imagining what health-and-safety in the UK might have to say about this. Halfway up, a group of younger guys in flipflops are taking a breather, their portable stereo and crates of beer proving suddenly too heavy.

Something profound, however, unites us all. Reaching the top of a ridge, I look across a slow oozing tide of molten black basalt rock rippling with each surge of lava passing below it, veins of orange magma burning through the surface. The lava is fed from the new crater. Fagradalsfjall is growing every day.

As I climb warily down the hillside, keeping my eyes fixed on the Icelanders to be sure how close I can go, I hear a growling intensify from within the crater. It sounds like pebbles being centrifugally spun around the inside of a cement mixer. This is the cue for eruptions that occur every ten-minutes as regular as clockwork.

Thereafter, the pyrotechnics

Then comes the big bang. Propelled 400 to 500 metres skywards, vivid orange magma rises then dances in a series of peaks, almost suspended in slow motion

Feel the heat and witness the mighty Fagralds fjall Volcano erupt 48

commence with a river of lava gushing through the partly collapsed wall on one side of the jet-black crater. Utterly transfixed, I feel the heat of this magma outflow and I squint at an intense brightness you might associate with the formation of a new sun. Then comes the big bang.

Propelled 400 to 500 metres skywards, vivid orange magma rises then dances in a series of peaks, almost suspended in slow motion, such is the viscosity.

Around me I hear screams of excitement. I fire off hundreds of images of essentially the same view. Yet no photograph can capture the profundity of what I am witnessing - the origins of our Earth in formation.

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Iceland

NATURAL HIGHS

Bathe in these world-famous heated water s

BLUE LAGOON

The geothermal wizardry of Reykjanes scarcely abates, when later I surrender to forces more conducive to my physical wellbeing. Not far from my hotel, I float in the powdery-blue heated water of the world-famous Blue Lagoon. It’s a good time to visit this popular attraction during the pandemic as visitor numbers to Iceland are down.

The algae and silica-rich waters of this outdoors geothermal pool are heated to 37-40ºC by the mixing of seawater and superheated freshwater two kilometres below the earth’s surface. The silica is said to treat skin complaints, like psoriasis. I scrape a handful of the squidgy silica mud and smear it into my face, hoping I might emerge looking like Brad Pitt.

It’s 0ºc outside, and clear, and I bathe beneath a starry nebula. The forces of the earth and sky are aligned just like my own sense of wellbeing after a remarkable day.

Reinvigorated, it’s an early start,

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Iceland

next morning. I head to Reykjavik for a couple of nights. I’ll be honest.

It’s not my favourite city. But then perhaps busy urban life reminds me of what I am seeking to escape.

Yet the main street, Laugavegur, with few restrictions at the time due to almost negligible coronavirus, imbues a sense of freedom from lockdown woes.

It’s also a base for a further opportunity to commune with climactic extremes, as I join a glacial hiking excursion to Iceland’s southern coast. By early summer Iceland’s lowland snow cover has melted away, uncloaking green pastureland. Gorging on that pasture are iconic Icelandic ponies squat, broad of back, and possessing romantic, long flowing manes.

Meanwhile rivers criss-cross the landscape, fed by glacial meltwater, sometimes via waterfalls careening over the cliffs of u-shaped valleys sculpted by the ebb-and-flow of past glaciations.

ICE ON FIRE

This meltwater, however, is symbolic of great adjustment for Iceland. The 11km-long Solheimajokull Glacier is in full retreat. Between 2017 and 2018 alone it retreated 100 metres. “It could be gone in a century’s time,” says Arnar Olaffson, taking me out for a hike with crampons.

On a surface whipped up like a meringue, I walk across an icescape striped like a zebra’s hide, as the blinding white ice is streaked with ridges of black ash. Historic eruptions had scattered the ash onto successive glacier surfaces that are now being revealed by melting. As we crunch our way across Solheimajokull (and crampons are easy to get used to, once you trust you will not fall face downwards wearing them) we trek through gullies of blue-tinged transparent ice and trace crevasse cracks gushing with icy melt water hurrying off the glacier beneath our feet. As I drive northwards

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Iceland's Sol heimajokull Glacier is in retreat but offers otherwor ldly vistas

Iceland

out of Reykjavik later, I think about the balance I have witnessed of Fagraldsfjall replenishing the Earth and how, through anthropogenic impact, Iceland’s glacial landscape is in retreat.

The same fate likely awaits the colossal Snæfellsjökul Glacier, which guides me like a beacon to a peninsula I adore. Snæfellsnes is a place of meditative retreat and unbridled nature. Looking at it on a map it’s shaped like a bratwurst sausage, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean. The 90km-long peninsula in northwest Iceland was formed by successive eruptions over 800,000 years from a strato volcano now covered by the glacier. Nordic mythology recalls a giant, Bárdur, dwelling above the volcano in an ice cave, to where he’d fled after killing his two nephews who slighted his daughter. There, according to legend, he resides for eternity.

I wasn’t planning a stay that long but with never-ending daylight

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Iceland

during my five days in a selfcatering cottage in Hellnar hamlet, my visit feels like a lifetime. I’m close to a coastline convoluted by seastacks and arches and throughout my stay I hardly see another living soul.

My conversations are mostly with the curlews and plovers dipping and diving around my cottage. And when the maritime gusts rip across the peninsula and rattle the hinges of my door I imagine Bárdur on the prowl.

GOING WILD

Yet this is a communion with nature to invigorate the soul. On hikes, I

CHURCH IN HELLNAR

Spirited Icelandic ponies Adopt a puffin

Iceland has the lion's share of puffins but the UK is home to several colonies, including those on the Welsh islands of Skomer and Skokholm. Adopt a puffin to help protect them. welshwildlife.org

follow paths through causticlava plains along the coast to visit lonely lighthouses or simple wooden Lutheran churches. I watch arctic terns acrobatically dancing like sprites and walls of kittiwakes and guillemots defending precarious nests on cliffledges above thunderous waves.

I see stealthy arctic foxes causing consternation among them.

One lunchtime eat my sandwiches on the crater rim of the 112m-high Saxhóll. Like pimpled acne, a field of subsidiary cones have erupted over time but lie dormant, now covered in a soft blanket of purple wild thyme, crowberries, which are sweet to taste, and spongy sphagnum moss. But of all the places I find peace to sit and contemplate life, it’s Djúpalonssandur – without doubt the

Throughout my stay I hardly see another living soul. My conversations are mostly with the curlews and plovers dipping and diving around my cottage 52

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Yet, with respect to Bárdur, only one resident of Snæfellsnes truly merits mythical status. To seek them out, I drive to the north of the peninsula to a fishing village called Ólafsvik, in the scalloped bay of Breidafjödur. A boat awaits, piloted by Captain Gisli.

The sea is energetic. But I resolutely maintain my position on the front of his vessel, dashed by spray that doesn’t dampen my resolve to glimpse the ocean’s greatest predator– the orca.

Within half-an-hour the tall dorsal fins of the Snæfellsnes orca pod,

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CHASING FREEDOM

which number around 600-700, I’m told by our onboard spotter, Karl, are all around the boat. They are chasing herring. We watch them hunting in teams, with a manoeuvrability and speed no human-made submersible could match. “They swim around and ball the herring together,” says Karl.

“They are so sophisticated. They emit a high-frequency resonance that paralyses the herring’s swim bladder so that they cannot get away”.

We watch them for an hour.

A bright afternoon light shimmering on their neopreneblack bodies, youngsters in tow of their mothers, like small dolphins, copying and learning. A scene likely repeated for millennia, long before the first Norse settlers arrived in the 9th-century to explore this striking island where natural beauty and reconnection with the primal forces of Mother Earth go hand-in-hand.

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most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen.

The ocean rakes the beach’s jetblack pebbles gleaming like opals up a tilted foreshore. The cliff behind is breaking away into pointed sea-stacks resembling witches' Halloween hats, their forms inspiring local myths about nocturnaldwelling elves and trolls turned to stone when caught in daylight.

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FAROE ISLANDS

By Lynne Houghton

Time machine

TÓRSHAVN

Capital full of colour

This isolated archipelago, located 160 miles north of the Outer Hebrides, is of Danish sovereignty but teeters on the very edge of Europe, and seemingly in the past. Dotted amongst its rugged yet verdant landscapes are old-fashioned fishing huts, tiny villages of grass-roofed

Hard times

Make sure you photograph Mulafossur waterfall, a dramatic sheer drop from the cliff-top to the sea houses and isolated, rustic and ancient farms.

The Atlantic Ocean dominates the islands’ weather patterns which are in equal parts soggy and misty, with storm-tossed seas creating a dramatic backdrop. The sea-carved cliffs are full of migrating and indigenous birds while inland, rivers and waterfalls criss-cross meadows and plateaus. Those who live here mostly eke out a living from the rock or the sea.

Sheep are everywhere.

But this is good news for Gudrun and Gudrun, a trendy, high-end clothing company based in the Faroese capital, Tórshavn.

The name of the shop is also the name of the two women

54

who own it and sell locallyknitted wool clothing and accessories – the ultimate in slow fashion. The company also subcontracts knitting to a woman’s co-operative in Jordan, helping women there to live independently from a remote village.

Sheep smiles

GRASS ROOFS

Take a hike with breath-taking views

MYKINES

Perhaps it is the islands’ isolation which has created survival methods inconsistent with modern times. Before the hillsides were full of grazing sheep, inhabitants relied on fishing and whaling for food as well as oil, and used whalebone for construction and tools. The Faroese still hunt pilot whales, herding them by boat into bays for slaughter. Known as the Grind (pronounced ‘grint’) an entire pod of whales can meet their demise in one afternoon. The carcasses are shared by the islanders so nothing goes to waste.

Will the Faroese give up the grind? When I ask if they are concerned about the ire this practice creates, they shrug and say it’s no different than their European neighbours slaughtering cattle.

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Travel talk

COVID’S TOLL ON

African wildlife

Covid-19’s effect on the travel industry has been devastating, but for the African safari sector it’s the difference between life and death. Mark Bibby Jackson explains Though the global death toll from Covid-19 has broken the four million mark – a human loss that would have been inconceivable two years ago – the pandemic isn’t solely a human tragedy. The impact on African wildlife might even be greater.

“Some areas have lost 80% of their wildlife,” says Dereck Joubert, CEO and co-founder of Great Plains, which runs luxury safaris in the continent as well as financing muchneeded conservation work through its foundation.

The cause of this devastation is not the virus itself, but the human consequence.Joubert talks of the first wave of the pandemic when luxury wildlife safaris – and their much needed revenue – disappeared. This transformed into a second wave when trans-national poaching ran amok.

“The wilds of Africa were left unattended by tourists, and by

rangers who had to stay at home,” he explains. And with the plains left deserted by man, the poachers had a free hand.

“At the very start of the pandemic, in 2020, I looked around at what could happen, how bad it might get and took some immediate actions,” Joubert says. “Knowing that tourism would collapse and that the impact on conservation would be devastating, I quickly deployed our own guides and drivers to monitoring work at Great Plains, but then saw that left and right of us everyone was in panic and cutting back on staff everywhere.”

Joubert’s solution was to establish Project Ranger, to fund rangers to patrol areas where Great Plains was not operating.According to Joubert, it costs roughly $500 a month to keep one ranger in the field.

“In just over a year we have managed to raise slightly over $1 million and distribute to nearly 200

rangers across nine countries,” he says. “So far it’s been very effective and we are very efficient in getting donations in and out within a week, so it is really an emergency fund.”

Joubert is not alone. On June 23, UK conservation charity How Many Elephants launched World Female Ranger Day to celebrate and support the magnificent efforts by female rangers to combat poaching in Africa. July 31 marked World Ranger Day, a project supported both by Great Plains and safari specialist Expert Africa, to highlight the work by all anti-poaching rangers.

While tourism to Africa still seems a way off, it is only through supporting these initiatives that we can help avoid a further Covid-related tragedy and protect African wildlife. charitable.travel/travel-begins-at-40

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Get to know

GEORGIA, USA

S

CUMBERLAND ISLAND RUIN

Atlanta Milledgeville

What’s it all about?

This southern U.S. state has golden beaches, epic mountains, exciting cities with fascinating history and a host of cute white picket fence towns in between. Georgia is often visited on a fly/drive with neighbours like Alabama and Tennessee and is just three hours from Orlando.

Capital attractions

Savannah

State capital Atlanta is a buzzing St. Simons Island city where innovative chefs collide Jekyll Island with southern hospitality, slick skyscrapers rise from urban forest and iconic African American culture has its roots. The city spreads out from its original centre at Five Points, with must-see neighbourhoods including Sweet Auburn where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born and raised, now home to numerous museums and historic landmarks. Green spaces include Piedmont Park with its famous urban panorama and the Centennial Olympic Park. You can also go behind the scenes of two iconic American brands – Coca Cola and CNN.

Suave Savannah

FORSYTH PARK, SAVANNAH

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Established in 1733 this city’s history is palpable amongst its many squares, lined with elegant houses sporting Greek columns, gothic turrets and grand staircases and shaded by gnarled live oaks.

Savannah is a traditional place where horse carriages rumble over cobbles but it’s also one of the few U.S. cities where you can get a cocktail to go.

MARTIN LUTHER KING MURAL, ATLANT A

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HIKING NEAR

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DRIFTWOOD BEACH, JEKYLL ISLAND

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Georgia is the setting for lots of films and T V series, here are a few locations: SMALL TOWN CLASSIC Visit the cute cafe where Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe was filmed in Juliette and treat yourself.

ZOMBIE ALERT The Walking Dead series was filmed across the state, including Driftwood Beach on Jekyll island, where Tara washes up in season seven.

STRANGE PLACE You can visit Hopper and Eleven’s cabin from Stranger Things at Sleepy Hollow Farm near Atlanta.

GET GUMP Sit where Forrest Gump sat in Chippewa Square, Savannah.

Great outdoors

Georgia’s scenery varies dramatically, from the hazy heights of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Okefenokee Swamp where you can paddle through lilies and under hanging cypress trees to spot alligators, turtles and bears. The ChattahoocheeOconee National Forest has 530 miles of trails taking in rivers, waterfalls and crystal clear lakes.

CURRAHEE MOUNTAIN

It’s a shore thing

Georgia’s coast stretches for 100 miles. The largest island is National Park Service-owned Cumberland, where wild horses gallop along bonewhite beaches and alligators and armadillos roam the tangled interior of oak-lined creeks. You can also explore the ruins of Dungeoness, a grand old house now claimed by wild turkeys.

Jekyll Island is accessed via a bridge which crosses marshes of whispering reeds and its beaches via boardwalks over the dunes. Inland are clapboard houses and maritime forests of magnolias and live oaks dripping in ghostly Spanish moss. The grand Jekyll Island Club Hotel was described in 1904 as “the richest, most exclusive and inaccessible club in the world”. Nearby Sea Island is one of the U.S’s richest zip codes, only accessible if you stay at its five-star resort.

More down to earth are St. Simons Island, with its quirky antique and book shops and Tybee Island, where locals go to relax and feast on fresh crab.

Taste local dishes like fried chicken, peach cobbler or low country boil, a stew of corn, crawfish and sausage

Heartland and soul

Don’t drive straight through Central Georgia, stay awhile and soak in its Antebellum architecture and rolling countryside. Georgia’s former capital Milledgeville has a quiet and collegiate atmosphere and its streets are lined with white columned houses shaded by dogwood trees, including the former Capitol building. In sleepy Madison too, rocking chairs creek and the stars and stripes flutter from many-a white-painted porch.

SMALL TOWN FORSYTH FOX THEATER, ATLANTA

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Top ten luxury places

TO STAY IN MALTA Lizzi Trimble

Charitable Travel’s luxury expert shares her top picks for an indulgent holiday in Malta and its sister island Gozo

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MURELLA LIVING Lizzi says: “This designer B&B has quirky rooms and is set on a Gozo seafront a stone’s throw from many cafes and restaurants.”

A stylish property in Gozo’s main resort village of Marsalforn, Murella Living will please those who look for unique stays. The decor, though contemporary, reflects Gozitan life and culture, including the famous local lace. There are a choice of unique rooms, including suites, and each has a balcony and mod-cons like a coffee machine, mini fridge and TV.

THE WESTIN DRAGONARA RESORT Lizzi says: “A great family hotel set on a peninsula in St Julian’s with an excellent pool area and direct access to the sea.”

Double family rooms and interconnecting rooms cater for parents travelling with young children while facilities like a kids club, playground and table tennis will keep them entertained.

There are two pools, two private rocky beaches, a spa and a wellness centre plus three restaurants serving up European cuisine including Italian.

KEMPINSKI HOTEL SAN LAWRENZ Lizzi says: “On the edge of a traditional village near a dramatic stretch of Gozitan coast, this low-rise five-star hotel is a great choice for all the family.”

Set in tranquil gardens, this terracotta hotel has lots to keep guests happy but is perfectly located near the dramatic cliffs of Dwejra Bay. On site are a trio of outdoor pools and a spa with an indoor pool, hammam, steam room and Ayurvedic treatments on offer. There’s also squash and tennis courts and three restaurants serving Mediterranean cuisine. Rooms are generous, neutrally decorated and with beautiful views.

DAR TAL-KAPTAN Lizzi says: “This adults-only B&B in a traditional Gozitan village has eclectic, shabby chic-style rooms that are more like suites.”

Nestled in the quiet village of Ghasri close to the Gozo capital is this 400-year-old farmhouse which has four quirky themed suites with outdoor terraces and features like a mini fridge and tea and coffee making facilities.

The property is stuffed with eclectic paintings, sculptures and books and has a pool, outdoor Jacuzzi, a book and DVD library, relaxation lounges and a sauna.

The breakfast is a sumptuous local buffet you can eat on the pretty terrace.

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Luxury top ten

GRAND HOTEL EXCELSIOR MALTA Lizzi says: “This hotel has a unique location by the edge of the sea and is nestled between the 16th century bastion walls of Valletta and Marsamxett Harbour, with simply stunning views.”

Featuring large rooms with balconies or terraces which can sleep three, this hotel offers the resort experience. Facilities on-site include an outdoor, indoor and kids pool, a spa and a gym. Guests can hire bikes, sign up for watersports and enjoy evening entertainment. There are several bars and restaurants serving Mediterranean, Asian and Caribbean food.

INTERCONTINENTAL MALTA Lizzi says: “Lovely landscaped gardens a three minute walk inland from St. George’s Bay, close to shops and restaurants and with a private sandy beach (a rarity in Malta) and excellent facilities.”

Resting in a prime spot in lively St. Julian’s, this 481-room five-star resort hotel has three pools, including a rooftop infinity pool and a lagoon-style pool, a kids club, fitness centre, spa and a private beach club and bar. The rooms and suites are modern and spacious. Seven restaurants and seven bars serve everything from burgers to fusion food.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS Whether you’re dreaming of a silky beach on a private island, a stylish hotel in a vibrant city or a jungle trek to spy exotic wildlife, Charitable Travel Luxury will help you will help you plan your ideal holiday and donate 5% of the price to a UK charity of your choice at no extra cost.

Wherever it is, a luxury holiday always centres on discovering unique destinations and enjoying authentic experiences.

With over 25 years’ experience in luxury travel and Charitable Travel’s #TravelForGood ethos at heart, our expert Lizzi is waiting to craft a trip that is your kind of luxury.

luxury@charitable.travel / 020 3092 2558

charitable.travel/luxury

Luxury top ten

HOTEL TA’ CENC AND SPA Lizzi says: “Set on a beautiful private estate within a bird sanctuary, this eco-friendly hotel has a private rocky beach and its trullo suites have great character.”

This 74-room hotel has a dramatic cliffside setting on the south of Gozo and offers indoor and outdoor pools and walking and jogging trails. The spa has a sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, gym and beauty salon. There are six room types including the Trullo Suite in a detached bungalow. Three eateries include a water’s edge fish restaurant.

THE PHOENICIA MALTA Lizzi says: “A short stroll from Valletta’s highlights with stunning city and Grand Harbour views this hotel is ideal for a city break but still caters for families.”

This elegant 1940s hotel’s Bastion Pool is hugged by the 16th century fortified walls of Valletta and has welcomed European royalty. Rooms and suites have pretty tiled floors and fresh Mediterranean colours. The grand colonial-style Phoenix Restaurant offers locally-inspired fine dining and there’s also a pool bar and lounge for afternoon tea. Onsite is a spa and gym.

THE XARA PALACE Lizzi says: “This very special baroque hotel is perched on the medieval city walls of Malta’s former capital Mdina and is great for adult guests.”

The 17 rooms and suites in this 17th century palazzo operated

by Relais and Chateaux have been individually decorated with original paintings and antiques, boasting stunning hilltop views across the island. There are four restaurants, including the award-winning fine dining venue de Mondian and Trattoria A.D. 1530, serving pizzas. The hotel raises money for two charities, one helping disabled locals.

INIALA HARBOUR HOUSE Lizzi says: “Spread over four exquisite Maltese houses and their ancient vaults, this exciting new hotel marries history with innovation.”

The 23 luxurious, unique and designer-executed rooms and suites all have gorgeous Grand Harbour views and come with luxurious features like walk-in wardrobes, private plunge pools and free-standing bath tubs. Facilities include a Michelin-star rooftop restaurant, a lounge bar in the vaults, a gym and an indoor pool. The team can arrange bespoke experiences like wine tasting or an underwater photography workshop.

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EUROPE’S

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Good to know...

SLEEPER TRAINS

Covid travel

ARE MAKING A

Amber list update

COMEBACK

The government has revised its travel advise

AS CONSUMER

so that travellers fully vaccinated at least 14

DEMAND FOR

days before returning to the UK are now able

NO-FLY OPTIONS INCREASES. SERVICES BETWEEN EU CITIES ARE STARTING FROM SWEDEN AND AUSTRIA

to avoid quarantine after visiting amber list countries.

Making waves

CORNISH HOTEL SUPPORTS LOCAL & GOES GREEN Iconic Cornish clifftop hotel, The Headland, has commissioned its own environmentally friendly wooden surf boards from a local business, Bellyboards. The hotel, which overlooks the famous surf spot of Fistral Beach, will use the boards to offer its guests a fun, greener way to enjoy the sea.

Croatia

New rules for Brits The Croatian government has updated its entry requirements for British travellers.

They now require proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken in the UK on arrival. This is regardless of vaccination status.

Brits are also required to also fill out an online

Gift ideas

PADI’s ploy for plastic Scuba diving organisation PADI has launched a range of sustainable, shark-themed products like hats, bottles and bags, all made from recycled plastic from the ocean or a plastic-free alternative. PADI’s range has helped remove

form and have proof of an accommodation booking.

Cruise news

Scenic returns to Portugal With the news that international cruising is now permitted for Brits, luxury cruise line Scenic will begin operating eight and 11-day Douro

over 26,000kg of plastic and

River cruises from

raised £23,000 for its charity

Porto this September

the PADI AWARE Foundation.

through to November.

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Good karma

After antiimmigration politician Nigel Farage criticised the RNLI for rescuing refugees, the sea rescue charity received a 2,000% increase in donations

A very special cat

STREET CAT BOB REMEMBERED A statue dedicated to the stray cat who inspired a homeless man to beat his addiction was unveiled this July. The man he saved and author of A Street Cat Named Bob and its many sequals, James Bowen, revealed the life-size bronze sculpture of Bob in London’s Islington Green, near where they used to sell the BIg Issue together.

Bob sadly died in 2020 but the statue was crowd-funded by his many fans. James said he hopes it reminds people-that “everyone deserves a second chance and that no-one is alone”

Personal space.

Longing for some room to roam? There’s no place like The Florida Keys.

Getting here is easy as pie (Key Lime, of course). When you arrive, you’ll discover warm, clear water. Legendary sunsets. World-class fishing and diving. Luxury accommodations. And the world’s freshest seafood. So come to The Keys, and wander all you please. charitable.travel/north-america/florida-keys/ For the latest protocols on health & safety in The Florida Keys, please visit fla-keys.co.uk or call 0208 686 2600.

Global good news

Easy tiger

AFRICA’S

INDIA’S TIGER POPULATION IS ON THE UP

LARGEST FOREST

The Manas National Park

DEMOCRATIC

in the India state of Assam has revealed that its tiger population has increased from zero to 48 in two decades. The park in north east India was overwhelmed by poachers 20 years ago but a wildlife census has showed that the number of striped cats have trebled after successful conservation interventions. The news means that the park has surpassed the World Wildlife Foundation and Global Tiger Forum’s goal of doubling tiger numbers by 2022.

Help a life-limited child like Myles today Richard House Children’s Hospice based in East London, provides palliative care to children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions across London.

Myles has short gut syndrome which means he has to be feed through a tube, a Hickman line, which has been surgically placed into his heart.

You can help!

When booking your next free getaway please consider Richard House at the checkout and help support life-limited children.

Visit www.charitable.travel/richard-house to find our more.

RESERVE IN THE REPUBLIC OF CONGO HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM UNESCO’S RED DANGER LIST AFTER FOREST ELEPHANTS AND BONOBO MONKEY NUMBERS ROSE.

Visit charitable.travel/north-america/arizona for more information for tips on travelling responsibly and sustainably in Arizona.

PLANNING A WELL-DESERVED HOLIDAY? Speak to one our expert travel advisors today to plan your UK staycation, sunshine escape or even that once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and help amazing charities at no extra cost!

Why book with us? ✓ Range of worldwide holidays ✓ Financial Protection ✓ Booking Flexibility ✓ Up-to-date Expert Knowledge ✓ Trusted Suppliers ✓ Free 5% donation to charity

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#TRAVELFORGOOD WITH CHARITABLE TRAVEL! charitable.travel / 020 3092 1288 / bookings@charitable.travel Putting our profit to work supporting the work of charitable causes Fundraising Futures Community Interest Company, Contingent Works, Broadway Buildings, Elmfield Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 1LW ALL PACKAGE HOLIDAYS ARE ATOL AND TRUST PROTECTED.