Charitable Traveller Magazine - March/April 2021 - Issue 4

ISSUE 4 March/April 2021

50% travel, 50% charity, 100% meaningful

Get away from it all

Covid-proof escapes • Supporting indigenous tourism • Wild Europe • Luxury family resorts

THE ROCKIE MOUNTAINS — 44.2643° N, 109.7870° W

Another

‘wow’ moment ticked off my list

SAVE

10% on 2022 Tours

BRITISH COLUMBIA

ALBERTA

Jasper National Mount Robson Park Sun Peaks

Whistler 2

Victoria 2

2

1

Maligne Lake

Columbia Icefield

Kamloops

Sunwapta Pass

1

Lake Louise

1 1 Vancouver

2 Banff National Park

Calgary

MAJESTIC ROCKIES

11 days | Vancouver to Calgary

Committed to Health and Safety

Visit www.charitable.travel/cosmos

Sugar, cream, or clouds in your coffee? On this majestic tour of the Canadian Rockies, you can relish all three.

A sunny gondola ride to breakfast atop Banff’s Sulphur Mountain, a private breakfast at Whistler’s Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, and a special dinner inside the original greenhouse at Victoria’s lush Butchart Gardens are just some of the ways to devour the elevating scenery on this vacation through Alberta and British Columbia. from

READER RECOMMENDED

UK 2020

Booking must be made before 13 September 2021 for the 10% discount. Offer does not include air fare. Flights can be added to your booking. Fare is subject to availability. Other departure dates available. Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended survey of Cosmos escorted tours customer experience, 106 Good Housekeeping readers, 2018.

£2,569 pp

£2,312

pp

Price based on 19 May 2022 Book before 13th September 2021 Flights available to add on. Alternative departure dates available.

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FROM THE EDITOR

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Laura Gelder

I always find the sight of a daffodil tremendously uplifting, so after the dark and ‘uncomfortingly’ familiar days of January and February, I’m delighted that spring has arrived. With the UK’s vaccination programme gathering pace and the government’s ‘roadmap to recovery’ revealed, it feels like there is finally some momentum to life.

The year will no doubt be filled with challenges but right now, even the smallest of pleasures – like meeting friends for a drink – hold the greatest excitement and that’s a feeling I want to remember for the rest of my life. Like you, I’m sure, I can barely contain my excitement at the prospect of a holiday! Sticking with simple, old-fashioned pleasures, my first will be to my favourite place in the world – Dorset. See page 20 for highlights of its heartbreakingly beautiful coast and bucolic villages and check out Charitable Travel’s huge range of staycation deals.

As usual, this issue is full of holiday ideas. On page 12 we look at what we think are the most Covid-proof escapes you can book; while on page 19 you’ll find a selection of Europe’s surprisingly wild and remote places, where you can escape the crowds. Further afield and about

Even the smallest of pleasures - like meeting friends for a drink - hold the greatest excitement and that’s a feeling I want to remember for the rest of my life as remote as you can get, take yourself on a cruise around untamed Patagonia on page 46.

Heading to warmer climes, whether you watch the BBC’s Death in Paradise or not, you’ll want to visit gorgeous Guadeloupe where it’s filmed (page 38). And if you dream of being pampered, our luxury expert Lizzi Trimble’s top ten luxury family resorts on page 59 will whet your appetite.

Not forgetting our mission to raise awareness of global issues and worthy charities which your holidaying can help, we look at some statistics from the refugee crisis on page 32, speak to a woman who walked from London to Rome to raise awareness of mental health on page 37 and explore how you can help the world’s indigenous communities while you’re away on page 22.

Enjoy all this, and more, alongside all those simple pleasures you’ve missed – you earned it.

©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: Credit - Unsplash.com/Tommy Lisbin.

CEO: Melissa Tilling; MARKETING: Rosie Buddell & Ally Ware; MAGAZINE EDITOR: Laura Gelder; MAGAZINE DESIGNER: Louisa Horton (louisacreative@outlook.com)

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Joy: A state of happiness.

In Louisiana, we pour our heart and soul into everything we do, and what comes out is joy. We call it "joie de vivre,” and it spices up every meal we serve, vibrates in every note we play, and it’s what makes your time here so special.

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Come one, come y’all – Come feed your soul in Louisiana.

Visit Charitable.Travel/North-America/Louisiana/, and plan your good times getaway today. © 2021 Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism

INSIDE

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Get the picture Armchair Travel Post pandemic holidays: How to future-proof your holiday plans Five wild European habitats Get to know: Dorset, UK Supporting indigenous tourism: Responsible & inspiring choices Q&A with: Elvis & Kresse A Day in the life of... Paige, from Wood Green, The Animals Charity Refugee Crisis: Migrant Help UK shares some statistics Opinion: Travel begins at 40’s Mark Bibby Jackson

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36 Postcard from: Liechtenstein 37 Why I donated to Mind 38 Guadeloupe: TV star 43 Four places for digital nomads 44 Get to know: Cartagena, Colombia 46 Cruise: Remote Patagonia 51 Five little known cultural sites 52 Get to know: New Mexico, USA 54 Postcard from: Okinawa, Japan 55 Sao Tome: Wild West Africa 59 Top ten luxury family resorts 63 Four charities helping the unemployed 64 Global good news

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FROM THE CEO In the week before publishing this issue there is a palpable sense of optimism in the air about travel, whether that is imminent ‘staycations’ exploring the British Isles, trips to Europe or maybe holidays further afield.

The vaccination programme is going so well and thanks to the continuing super-human work of the NHS and the prospect of air corridors opening to places in close step with our own phased pandemic recovery, travel is finally a possibility.

As we publish, demand for long-awaited holidays at home and abroad is growing quickly and I encourage you to read this issue’s captivating panoply of travel inspiration, but also to keep a close eye on the work of the charities that we are showcasing here and on the Charitable Travel website’s Great Causes page. The charity sector has such an important role in our society and overseas. Now there is the much talked about ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ run towards it and book a holiday. Give you and your family the true space and time to grasp the restorative value of travel, knowing that with Charitable Travel’s 5% off the price of your trip you will also be helping a great cause. Thank you.

Melissa Tilling CHARITABLE TRAVELLER

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Get the picture

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picture

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Positively blooming

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After what feels like the longest winter ever, spring has finally sprung in the northern hemisphere. In the UK the snowdrops appeared first, as usual, but more unusually coincided with actual snow this year.

Then smatterings of crocus began to sprout pink, purple and yellow under trees and now daffodils are nodding their cheerful heads across the country.

The Netherlands is one of the world’s most famous destinations for spring blooms, thanks to the rainbow displays of tulips across the country.

Sadly, us Brits will miss it this year since the time to go is March until mid-May, so here’s a shot of Amsterdam framed by flowers. charitable.travel/europe

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Charitable.travel/rail-bookers

Get the picture

Pack a picnic

The Prime Minister’s ‘roadmap to recovery’ starts off small but one of the new sanctioned activities from March 8 is a picnic. After weeks of having to keep your park catch-ups with your mate constantly on the move, you are now allowed to actually sit down and enjoy a sandwich - perhaps even a cheeky alcoholic beverage – without fear of lawful retribution. And by March 29 we should be allowed to lounge outside with five other people. Expect picnic blankets to be the next big thing. Where is your ultimate picnic destination? Pictured here is the Hudson River Greenway, looking over New York City. charitable.travel/north-america

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Spot of Bothy?

The combination of warmer weather and over-excited postlockdown Brits is bound to lead to overcrowding in some UK holiday hotspots this year. So if you’re the type who likes to stay away from people, you might want to think about some of the country’s more remote areas, like Scotland, which is home to nearly 100 beautifully isolated bothies. A bothy, in case you didn’t know, is a hut or small cottage which is no longer in use but left unlocked for walkers to use as a mountain refuge. It’s the ultimate hermit’s house and it’s free! But be warned, it’s camping under concrete instead of canvas. Get more staycation inspiration here: charitable.travel/ british-isles

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I am an Island

By Tamsin Calidad

Captain Tom’s Life Lessons

The landscape is as much a lead character as the book’s author in this autobiography about collapse and redemption on a remote Hebridean island. Disenchanted by London, Calidas and her husband left high-flying careers in London to move 500 miles north and start farming. At first it’s idyllic but as her marriage breaks down, Calidas finds herself in ever-increasing isolation. This is a moving book about solitude, friendship, resilience and selfdiscovery.

Book

This year got off to a very sad start when the nation’s hero, Captain Sir Tom Moore, sadly passed away from Covid-19. It seemed a cruel twist of fate that this remarkable man who had raised our spirits as well as tens of million of pounds for the NHS, was taken by the very virus that prompted him to do it. This book is full of the wit, warmth and wisdom that made Captain Tom so special and is a record of his reflections and guiding principles from a long life, well lived. The book will surely be a source of reassurance, hope and encouragement for generations to come and see his legacy live on.

Book

ARMCHAIR

travel time

The cut-throat world of urban India, a British roadtrip, a wild Scottish island and a remarkable life filled with global adventures...

White Tiger

Film

New on Netflix, this fast-paced film is an adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s Man Booker Prize-winning debut novel. It tells the tale of a rich Indian family’s ambitious driver who uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty and become an entrepreneur.

The film encapsulates modern India’s energy and colour as well as the huge gap between rich and poor. Adarsh Gourav plays the lead charater of Balram and the film has an explosive Indian soundtrack that will get your pulse racing and cinematography that will make you long for the unique atmosphere of India’s chaotic city streets.

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Supernova

This British drama film was written and directed

by Harry Macqueen and stars Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci. The two play a long-time devoted couple and Tucci’s character has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia. They embark on a poignant road trip across the UK in a campervan and against the mountainous landscapes of northern England, the film explores themes of love and loss.

Supernova’s world premiere was at the San Sebastián International Film Festival last year and it’s scheduled to be released in March.

Film

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Post-pandemic holidays

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DER A NIGHT UN THE STARS

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Illustration by nightwolfdezines

ast year was a lame duck of a year for travel. If you were lucky enough to sneak in a holiday at the start of 2020 you may have been caught up in a race to get home or, worse still, been locked down in a foreign hotel as Covid-19 restrictions began sweeping the world. Since then it’s been a rollercoaster ride as lockdowns have come and gone, a tier system had people shedding tears and the government’s list of travel corridors was here today, gone tomorrow and back again a few weeks later.

As we emerge from lockdown three, holidays are within reach but it will be

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some time before travel is completely back to normal. What’s certain is that most destinations will remain subject to changing restrictions and requirements and the business of booking and going on holiday has become much more complicated.

Of course the best thing you can do to avoid headaches is book your holiday through a professional travel company like Charitable Travel. This will ensure your trip is ATOL-bonded and refundable. But it will also mean you have someone to help you navigate through the complexities of post-pandemic travel and someone to call for advice should the situation change at any point after booking.

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Last year the beleaguered travel industry fought back against lost bookings with some innovative changes to their brochures. Many tour operators pivoted their offering from long haul multi-centre trips to stay-put staycations and others reinvented the phrase ‘bubble break’ from a hot tub holiday to a private tour for a family or group of friends.

Many people are asking, is there such a thing as a pandemic-proof holiday? Charitable Travel offers a huge range of holidays for every budget, to all corners of the globe, but here is some inspiration for trips that might weather the covid storm better than others.

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STAYCATIONS

Whether you like it or not, the safest bet for a holiday over the last year has been one that stays in the UK, and that trend for domestic breaks is likely to continue. But with reports of rental properties selling out within hours of Boris’ announcement and some companies doubling prices due to demand, it looks like even booking a domestic holiday could be tricky.

The best thing to do is keep an open mind. If you’re set on a sea view cottage in Cornwall you might be disappointed. The UK is a vast and varied land with plenty of room for us all to find blissful holidays. If you

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Give children and young people facing serious challenges in their lives the chance for a break that lasts a lifetime A break that inspires them to go beyond anything that stands between them and their brightest future Make a lasting difference today www.charitable.travel/go-beyond

Registered charity in England & Wales (1080953) and in Scotland (SCO40536)

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BARGING IN THE UK

Best of all, stay away from beaches all together. Rural Rutland is a landlocked county in the east Midlands and one of the UK’s smallest, at 18 miles long and 17 miles wide. Here you can enjoy a slow pace of life, pretty English countryside and quaint villages with traditional pubs. Plus, Rutland Water and the nearby Nene Valley region provides plenty of opportunities for watersports.

If you’re in the camp that is secretly gutted about the prospect of a domestic break then perhaps you need to see it in a different light. The beaches off the west coast of Scotland have sand as pure white as that found in the Maldives, Kent’s lavender fields are as pretty as Provence’s any day and Sussex is fast becoming the new Champagne region thanks to the number of wineries making quality English sparkling wine.

Are you pining for India? Visit Brighton’s onion-domed Royal

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can’t find anything suitable in Cornwall, try the West Wales or Northumberland, which have similar gorgeous coasts with features like rugged cliffs and wide, sweeping beaches but are often much less crowded.

The Wales Coast Path is an epic 870-mile-long trail and its website has new 2021 themed itineraries, including a wellness walk.

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Post-pandemic holidays

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Home-fromhome

Wherever you are heading, staying in self-contained accommodation is a good way to minimise your risk of mixing with others, and therefore potentially coming into contact with Covid-19.

Whether it’s a cute thatched cottage in the Cotwolds, a whitewashed villa in the Balearics, a chateau in rural France, a chalet in the Austrian Alps or an apartment in Madrid, you can be safe in the knowledge that you have ensured splendid isolation for you and your travel companions.

Of course, hotels will have stringent Covid-19 restrictions in place and don’t forget that

many resorts have self-contained accommodation on-site – offering the best of both worlds if you prefer the resort experience.

If you have a large family or can get a group together, perhaps two families, then there are some luxurious and impressive self-contained options that offer superb value for money. The Great House in Antigua is a microboutique resort and with just eight suites, sleeping 16, is ideal for a resort buy-out. It’s centred around the 350-year-old stone Great House in 26 acres of tropical gardens, with a pool and a spa, and it could be yours only for £1,649 per person including flights.

On the road, river or sea

One way to stay away from the crowds is to keep moving.

Google searches for campervans have rocketed in recent months and no wonder – the lure of the open road during lockdown was

GLAMPING IN CHILE

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an irresistable one. Of course, campervanning means you need to book campsites to have access to facilities. Motorhomes – or RVs as they are called across the pond – have toilets and showers onboard as well as cooking facilities but campsites will allow you to hook up to electricity.

Of course, the U.S. or Canada’s open roads and retro diners spring to mind when you think of a motorhome holiday, but there are plenty of places closer to home that are great for it too. France is famous for its proliferation of campsites and has Atlantic TENBY, WALES

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Pavilion. Perhaps you want to be in Italy? Portmeirion in Wales is a village purposely modelled on Italy, with its brightly-coloured houses clinging to the green, craggy Welsh coastline instead of the Italian Riviera.

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coastline instead of the Italian Riviera

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beaches, the snow-capped alps sail yourself, taking in beautiful and a rural heartland of vineyards harbours, bays and anchorages and chateaus. Alternatively, Norway along the way, but return to the has stunning scenery and quality safety of a fleet most evenings. This campsites and, as it’s an expensive kind of holidays is popular across country, this is a good way to see it. the Mediterranean as well as the But you don’t have to hit the road. Caribbean, Indian Ocean and parts Why not take to the water of the Far East, like Thailand. instead? The UK alone has a mainland coast Island measuring over time 11,000 miles and It’s no Avoid the peak season and there are about surprise you avoid the crowds, try 4,700 miles that many island Dubai in summer, Thailand in of navigable nations have its wetter season, Iceland in winter or Greece in autumn waterways where managed Covid-19 and you could also get a barge holidays are infections well. Being bargain holiday. ubiquitous. able to shut borders Cross over to Europe quickly and, in the case and options abound. of smaller islands, manage Croatia, Greece and Turkey are the population easily has kept popular for yachting holidays and classic holiday destinations like the you don’t necessarily need sailing Caribbean Covid-free. experience as some operators The Cayman Islands is one such offer skippered options. Neilson destination, where lucky locals operates flotilla holidays in the have been living relatively CovidGreek Ionion Islands, where you free, with no need for masks

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JULY 14-18 04 DAYS 300 MILES

Post-pandemic holidays

SAILING HOLIDAY, CROATIA

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(except on public transport), no social distancing rules and no limitations on small gatherings.

The islands also have abundant villa options and miles of beaches.

Although they haven’t opened their doors to visitors yet, they are likely to from April.

If you have the budget, there’s always the option of getting a whole island to yourself. There are several tempting alternatives

for this in the Maldives, including Gaathafushi at W Maldives. This small hump of fine, white sand surrounded by turquoise sea comes with luxury accommodation and just two sun loungers, patiently waiting for you and your chosen companion. Plus, you can still book your private chef for a romantic beachside dinner or organise a sunrise Champagne breakfast for two.

Hike through the fairy tale landscapes of Bohemian Switzerland National Park, which is actually in the Czech Republic, to see Europe’s largest rock arch

ATHENS IN AUTUMN

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THE RUGGED FAROE ISLANDS

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The great outdoors

If you want to be safe, keep it simple and natural. While theme parks and theatre shows are at risk of being closed or cancelled, walking, cycling or horse riding is more likely to go ahead.

There are so many wild and beautiful places in the world and many that you’ve probably never heard of (see page 19 for more on this). Like Poland’s Masurian Lake District, also known as The ‘Land of a Thousand Lakes’. Here, you can kayak picture-perfect rivers and marvel at untouched landscapes.

Or you could hike through Bohemian Switzerland National Park, a fairytale landscape which is actually in the Czech Republic.

This region of pine forests, deep valleys, rock cities and ravines has miles of hiking trails and is home to Europe’s largest rock arch.

An outdoor-focused holiday lends itself to one of the latest accommodation trends, glamping.

There are so many options out there now, from treehouses in the forests of Scandinavia to bubbles tents on a beach in the Seychelles.

Contact Charitable Travel to explore any of these ideas and more. We will find you a holiday!

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2020

World's Leading Family & Beach Resort

World's Leading Luxury Green Resort

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THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS This chain of peaks stretches through central and Eastern Europe, including the Ukraine, Slovakia, Poland and Romania, where an initiative is underway to create one of Europe’s largest wilderness landscapes south of the Arctic Circle. Not-for-profit foundation Rewilding Europe is hoping eco-tourism will replace farming to increase the 1 million hectares of protected land already in place. The Carpathians’ pristine forests, peaks and lakes are home to wolf, Eurasian lynx, brown bear and wild cat and Rewilding Europe has worked with the charity WWF to bring European bison back to the region for the first time in 200 years.

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WILD SPOTS

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are also staging a comeback and the water harbours the largest number of fish species anywhere in Europe.

Andrei Proda

THE BIAŁOWIEŻA FOREST This vast tract of forest consists of the remnants of several primeval forests and is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve straddling the PolandBelarus border. The area is covered in thick woods with 500-year-old ancient oaks, wild meadows and deep river valleys. It’s a habitat for carnivorous wildlife that is rare in Europe, including otters, lynx and wolves, plus 900 European bison. During the German occupation of Poland the Nazis planned to create the world’s largest hunting grounds here and establish a kind of Jurassic Park by reintroducing prehistoric animals. Luckily the forest was left alone.

THE DANUBE DELTA The mighty Danube River meets the Black Sea in the Ukraine and has formed Europe’s largest wetland area across Romania and Moldova too. The rich 580,000 hectare habitat is a wintering ground for migrating birds from the steppes, boreal forests and frozen tundra further north.

The vast population of birds includes pelicans, herons, storks, cormorants and terns.

The pristine forest is now attracting beavers while golden jackal and white-tailed eagles

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Think you need to head to the Americas or Africa to find vast tracts of wilderness?

Think again. Meet some of Europe’s most remote areas of mountains, trees and water

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LAPLAND Just the Finnish part of Lapland is home eight national parks and 12 wilderness areas but it also covers Sweden, Norway and Russia.

Lemmenjoki National Park is named after the river that runs through it and leads into the homelands of the indigenous Sámi People. Further east, Urho Kekkonen National Park is part of the Saariselkä Wilderness area which stretches to Russia. Here, a network of wilderness huts connects forest, marshland and low fells home to bears, wolverines, golden eagles and thousands of free-grazing reindeer (plus Father Christmas, of course). It’s accessible on foot or cross country skis.

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Get to know...

DORSET

Lyme Regis

Weymouth Lulworth

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

If you’re dreaming of lying on a beach, Dorset won’t disappoint.

There’s plenty of sandy options, from the urban delights of Bournemouth and sweet, old-fashioned Swanage to rural Studland, backed by soft sand dunes and pine trees. But don’t shirk shingle because the stone beaches are stunning. The remarkable Chesil Beach is a thin shingle barrier running for 18 miles and Lulworth Cove’s perfect almost-circle is filled with turquoise water to compete with the Caribbean.

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Dorset’s coast path is all killer, no filler.

The highest point on the south coast, Golden Cap is 191 metres above sea level and affords sweeping views of the undulating coast. Other seaside highlights include the orange cliffs of West Bay, location of ITV drama Broadchurch; the chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks; the famous arch of Durdle Door and neighbouring crescent coves like Man O’ War Beach and Mupe Bay. The Isle of Portland has views of the largest tidal lagoon in Britain and at its tip is the red-striped Portland Bill lighthouse. Inland, the Dorset Jubilee Trail is 90 miles of rolling downs, secret valleys and cute villages while the Wessex Ridgeway crosses Dorset’s rural heart, straddling a chalk ridge with stunning valley views.

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Beach time

Walking heaven

SANDBANKS BEACH

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A classic British holiday destination in the grand old tradition of postcard scenes, Dorset has it all: seaside resorts resplendent with cheerful beach huts, a cracking coast with soaring cliffs and snug coves and rolling countryside dotted with charming thatched cottages.

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What is it all about?

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And another thing Add these quirky places to your itinerary...

Unique wildlife

The ghost village of Tyneham Dorset’s ‘lost village’ was evacuated in 1943 for military training purposes and no one returned. Wander the derelict cottages and visit the preserved church and schoolhouse.

A RARE RED SQUIRREL

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The Cerne Abbas Giant This 55-metrehigh chalk man is found on a verdant slope outside the pretty, historic village of Cerne Abbas and is wielding a club and sporting an impressive erection.

The cobbled streets and thatched cottages dropping down Gold Hill are famous

The Square & Compass pub Located in Worth Matravers, this rambling old building with flagstone floors has smuggling connections.

for being in a Hovis advert

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DURDLE DOOR

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Much of Dorset’s coastline is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast, where the crumbling cliffs are stuffed with ancient fossils holding the secrets from three geological time periods: the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous, from around 250 to 65 million years ago. At Kimmeridge Bay, the layered cliffs are like the pages of a history book, telling the story of when they were the bed of a tropical sea, rich in pre-historic life.

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Pretty places to explore

Dorset’s villages offer the sort of quintessential pastoral English scenes that Hollywood location scouts would die for. This is the countryside that inspired Thomas Hardy and much of it is unchanged by time, like Sydling Saint Nicholas, where rose and ivy-clad thatched cottages wind along a babbling brook. Corfe, looked over by its ruined castle atop a green mount, is as pretty as a picture. Characterful fishing ports abound, like Lyme Regis, with its historic Cobb, a harbour wall protecting bobbing boats. Bridport Harbour is surrounded by fish and chip shops and crying gulls chip-seeking missiles. And bustling Poole is the port of the world’s second largest natural harbour after Sydney.

Then there are the seaside resorts – Bournemouth, with its endless sandy beach, long pier and grand Victorian hotels and Weymouth, where donkeys still walk the sandy beach backed by colourful houses. Also worth visiting are market towns like Dorchester and Blandford Forum, the most complete Georgian town in Britain.

Chris Meads/Unsplash

National Trust-owned Brownsea Island is one of the few places in the UK where red squirrels scamper, its lagoon is where spoonbills scoop up snacks and sika deer can be spotted in the woods. If you’re a fan of the BBC’s Springwatch head to Badger Watch Dorset near Buckland Newton. Owls, foxes and bats can also be spotted from its settside hides.

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GOLD HILL

Ryunosuke Kikuno/Unsplash

Supporting indigenous tourism

Sasin Tipchai/Pixabay

A TOTEM POLE IN VANCOUVER, CANADA

SOUTHEAST ASIA IS HOME TO MANY, DISTINCT HILL TRIBES

Native narratives In some countries the prevalent culture is not the indigenous one, but visiting these communities to learn about their history and way of life makes for a more enriching holiday, says Lizzie Young

“

Adrian Dascal/Unsplash

Jaime Handley/Unsplash

A DREAM CATCHER

TRADITIONAL WEAVING, PERU

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Forget five-star accommodation, here I welcome you to my fivethousand-star hotel,” says our Aboriginal guide, Bill, with a proud, expansive gesture and eyes turned skyward. We look up and try to take in the vastness of the clear dark sky stretching in every direction over our netted hammocks. Above us is the most spectacular star-studded skyscape we’ve ever seen.

The air is thick with the evocative evening call of the cicadas and the heady scent of eucalyptus. We are settled in for the night, deep in the Australian outback, outside Katherine in the Northern Territory.

I sip bush tea cooked in a battered Billy-can as Bill’s damper (a bush bread) and his bush tucker stew cook on the campfire. All day he has been sharing the DreamTime stories of his ancestral lands, walking us through the dusty, dry outback, pointing out nutricious delicacies and medicinal musthaves; ancient art sites and natural geographic features full of legend and deep meaning.

It’s an adventure of the most authentic and educational kind.

He shows us carefully and quietly that there is so much more to

the outback than the ‘empty’ landscapes our western eyes see without his expert tuition. And we also learn that the opportunity to share culture and sacred stories is an empowering experience for his people too.

History lesson

The stories of indigenous people all over the world are increasingly making their way into tourism, whether in tours and museums, or events and art, but it is important to embark on any quest for an indigenous experience with some sensitivity and understanding.

Tribal dress, ceremonial rituals, dance, music and sacred places have an intrigue and magnetic appeal to the outsider but should represent live cultural values, not just tourist show pieces, and it is important to check the credentials of an interaction before you book.

In many parts of the world the back stories of these communities are neither poetic or pretty but rather a harrowing catalogue of wrongs done to indigenous groups in the name of progress - as outsiders arrived, settled and tried to change their traditional ways.

Explorers from afar often brought diseases which killed many

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Supporting indigenous tourism

A PAMAGIRRI ABORIGINAL EXPERIENCE IN QUEENSLAND’S RAINFORESTATION NATURE PARK

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Supporting indigenous tourism

LLY-DRESSED TRADITIONA MEN MAORI WO

native people, and religious pride in their ancient traditions, and do-gooders taught others to a new sense of purpose in sharing it. deny their language and culture For travellers, these experiences in the name of God. Some of the can offer authentic insights and damage done is now recognised as cultural engagement, while for the ‘cultural genocide’. But with more communities they become a driver woke times upon us, nations are for positive change and support the slowly facing up to their sustainability of their culture. ugly past, redressing Engaging with wrongs, and working indigenous people hard to develop can bring benefits employment on both sides but Minority Rights Group opportunities and it’s important not International helps indigenous a new respect to characterise and minority groups to for indigenous all indigenous combat persecution and communities. In experiences as marginalisation and achieve many cases tourism niche or simplistic. climate change justice. minorityrights.org can play a very Wealthy Aboriginals positive role in this. (yes, there are some In Australia, Bill explains, where lands and rights bush skills and native knowledge have been restored) now invest wasn’t always recognised, let alone in tourism infrastructure, hotels valued, but as international interest and resorts, casinos and museums. in indigenous culture grew, younger Highly educated and focused generations saw they could earn professionals from indigenous an income from their heritage, and communities are working hard to tourism helped give them a new understand traveller’s needs.

The right to be

THE HMONG HI LL TRIBE’S FABRICS FOR SALE, THAILAND

Welcome

to a

you’ve

journey

never imagined

At-Turaif, Diriyah UNESCO Heritage site visitsaudi.com

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CHARITABLE . TRAVEL www.charitable.travel/Saudi

Supporting indigenous tourism

Alex Strachan

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In Australia, the Discover Aboriginal Experiences programme supports almost 50 businesses which are standing by to welcome visitors from overseas for activities as diverse as guided bush tucker tours and fishing trips to quad biking adventures, wilderness retreat stays and rock art tours. There are 40,000 years of stories and traditions to explore and key to the programme is a philosophy that ensures whoever owns the story, tells the story.

In New Zealand too, Māori culture is an important part of the visitor experience, but look beyond the obvious. While the eye-catching kapa haka (group dances) and dramatic face markings remain important parts of Māori life, there is a much wider indigenous involvement in tourism. Many Māori own and manage their own tourism businesses or work as an integral part of the hospitality sector. Hiking, white water rafting, art and cultural tours can all include the opportunity to hear unique stories of the people and places first-hand and opting for these effortlessly adds breadth and depth to any holiday experience.

If you are bound for Canada,

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haritable . tc

Whose story is it?

A MAASAI GUIDE IN KENYA

AN ANCIENT NA TIVE AMERICAN PU EBLO, MESA VERDE NATIONA L PARK

remember more than 1.4 million people identify themselves as aboriginal here – that is no small, stereotypical tribal niche. The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada brings together aboriginalowned tourism businesses to promote the rich story-telling of the First Nations people, and these stories link communities deeply and intensely with Canada’s incredible landscapes.

Indigenous tourism is never just one thing. There are 574 federally recognised Native American tribes in the U.S. and each has its own story to tell, whether it is of past

Indigenous tourism is never just one thing. There are officially 574 Native American tribes and each has its story NATIVE AMERICAN TIPIS, GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

hunting skills or beautiful beadwork; traditional drumming or wood carvings. Spiritual stories are inspired by landscapes as disparate as the humid swamps of Florida and the snow-capped Rocky Mountains and offer insights into how the earliest inhabitants of these lands survived, bringing new meaning to every stunning vista.

In Europe, the only indigenous people maintaining their distinct culture are the Sámi who live primarily in Finland, Norway and Sweden. Best known for their reindeer herding, colourful outfits and winter survival skills, the Sámi population is strong and their language and culture is preserved through an autonomous Sámi parliament. They offer many activities showcasing their traditional lifestyle skills, art and folklore, but are also strongly represented in modern Scandinavian culture such as rap music, architecture, film making and cutting-edge design.

How can you access it?

As indigenous people are often closely connected with the lands they inhabit, interactions while touring can often be easily achieved simply by choosing a relevant itinerary. Look, for example, for trekking tours in Thailand, Vietnam and other countries in this region, that visit and support the

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“If travel is about being exposed to different cultures, foods, and people, then this was a brilliant travel experience...”

- Jane (Facebook)

Eat for good.

Experience a real taste of multicultural Sydney, Australia Taste Cultural Food Tours Inc. is a charity and social enterprise providing training to Australian migrants, refugees, and local youth.

We offer employment leading local Sydney tours which promote cross-cultural understanding. Our tours are designed to bring people and cultures together using food.

Each tour is a back-stage pass to Sydney's most authentic multicultural cuisines, enhanced by Australia's freshest local ingredients. We visit sometimes surprising and diverse suburbs, supporting local businesses.

Eat for good -- Every tour ticket purchased helps support our training and employment programs.

www.charitable.travel/taste-tours

AUSTRALIA’S ABORIGINAL PEOPLE ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR STRIKING ART

Flavius Torcea/Unsplash

A LAKOTA NATIVE AMERICAN POW-WOW IN SOUTH DAKOTA

tourism.australia.com

Andrew James/Unsplash

Supporting indigenous tourism

INDIGENOUS-MADE HATS IN PERU

indigenous hilltribes living there.

If you’re passing through a region home to indigenous people, make the effort to stop. Along the Amazon River indigenous locals make their money from fishing, trading flowers, fruit, vegetables and handicrafts which you can buy from them.

In Africa, many safari camps and animal adventures support indigenous communities. It is sometimes shocking to compare the lush luxury of lodges and indulgent bush camps with the basic infrastructure of local villages, but some game reserves provide employment, support collaborative conservation and environmental awareness among the locals, and offer communities incentives to

protect biodiversity. Look beyond the glamorous Out of Africa brochure shots and ask if some of this wealth goes back to the locals.

Namibia has led the way with the creation of conservancies but community-based natural resource management policies are now rolling out across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa. In Kenya, indigenous people were once evicted from vast areas of national park to protect animals but now traditional lifestyles are encouraged to thrive alongside lands leased back to safari operators.

There is no better way to get to the heart of indigenous communities than by understanding their eating habits and culinary tours or cooking

For an ethical indigenous interaction, ensure your visit is hosted by that community and is not one-way. Interact & understand. Don’t hide behind a camera .

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classes can make a great meal into a sociable, insightful local interaction.

Visiting indigenous communities in remote regions can be a specialist activity, needing permits, interpretation and introductions.

But whether it is a trip to the tribal villages of Papua New Guinea’s jungle or the indigenous communities of the South American Andes, look for those that offer real benefits to the local communities.

Key to having a positive, ethical indigenous interaction is to ensure your visit is hosted by that community and is not a one-way activity. Ask questions, share your stories – interact and understand the culture, rather than standing behind a camera. Show respect and friendship for the people and it will be a learning, supportive experience – not a voyeuristic one – making memories stronger than any photo.

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PHOENIX

fashion

Couple-run Elvis & Kresse is a sustainable and ethical brand turning waste material into fashion accessories. We talk to cofounder Kresse Wesling...

What’s the aim of Elvis & Kresse?

Linear economy and design is all about take, make, waste but we rescue, transform and donate.

Starting with waste, we design a solution which changes the value of the material so we can divert it from landfill. Putting a tonne of fire hose in landfill will cost £500 but we can turn it into £60,000 of value by transforming it into beautiful handbags, belts and wallets.

We now apply this principle to 15 materials, including printing blankets, leather waste from Burberry, auction banners, parachute silk and tea sacks, making everything from bag linings to leaflets from them.

We reduce waste and re-distribute up to 50% of profits to projects and charities related to the reclaimed materials – including the Fire Fighters Charity and Barefoot College. We also give back by employing lots of apprentices at our Kent factory.

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Why is sustainability important to you?

I grew up in Canada surrounded by pristine nature but later I won a scholarship to attend school in Hong Kong, where waste was rampant and recycling non-existent. After that I read the book Silent Spring and it changed me. It’s an environmental science book written in a novelistic style that punches you in the chest.

Why did you decide to be a social enterprise?

I didn’t! Until I was asked to be part of a social enterprise programme I didn’t know what it meant. But for me the financial side of business has always been a way to achieve my environmental and social goals.

I studied politics at university because I wanted to make a difference but I was disillusioned with how western democracies work - it didn’t sit well with my lack of patience and inability to compromise!

When I began working I realised the power of small business because making money means you don’t have to compromise on values.

How did you and your partner Elvis meet?

On a boat, at a super heroes party in Hong Kong. When Superman walks up to you and introduces himself as Elvis your life either changes or it doesn’t! I was running a biodegradable packaging company but after the first shipment biodegraded en-route I left and moved to the UK to be with Elvis.

We’re a strong partnership because I love waste materials and want to rescue them and Elvis is able to turn them into something people will love.

Where did the business idea come from?

After I moved to the UK I became preoccupied with its awful recycling rates and went to the British Library

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her great c ot

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to do some research. After I found that a staggering 100 million tonnes of waste went to landfill in 2004, I started visiting landfill sites to see what that looked like.

If you show an interest in landfill sites people are very helpful so I learnt a lot. I found that once waste is at landfill, there’s no turning back. Household waste is a mess – everything from dog poo and hair to cling film and bones. But industrial waste is often a uniform material that comes in a consistent amount on a consistent basis and isn’t crosscontaminated – it’s liquid gold!

I saw firehose at a landfill site but I didn’t think about it again until a chance meeting with some people from the London Fire Brigade. They told me that they send up to ten tonnes of hose to landfill each year and invited me to their Croydon station where it all goes. Four days later I told them I’d take the hose and if I made anything from it I’d give them half the money. They thought that was hilarious but a year later I made £134 and last year we donated £150,000 to the Fire Fighters Charity.

We searched all over for a manufacturer, initially to turn our material into a belt, but no one wanted to help us so we bought an industrial sewing machine and Elvis started experimenting, despite having no design experience. He’s done project managing and logistics, is an ocean master yachtsman, a bike mechanic and is one exam away from being an air traffic controller but he still wouldn’t describe himself as a designer, rather a very stubborn reverse engineer! Five years later we started our own factory.

How did you market yourselves?

We were featured in the Financial Times several times – mostly because people couldn’t understand why we were giving profits away – and in 2009 we got in the first issue of Green Vogue, which put us on the map.

A chance meeting at an event bringing business leaders and social

How did you transform the hose?

I went back to the library and researched the history of fire hose, discovering that the first were made of leather but now it’s made of a composite rubber and nylon which can’t be recycled. I learnt that some French luxury brands were using the same material in accessories but they were producing it from scratch.

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enterprises together led to us selling Apple phone cases all over Europe. It was held on a farm and there was no phone signal unless you climbed this grassy knoll, where I spotted a guy from Apple. I followed him up there and casually took my phone out which was in an Elvis & Kresse case – that piqued his interest!

What’s next?

In the UK 20% of aluminium cans aren’t recycled. We’re working with Queen Mary University to design a cheap-to-make solar-powered forge so we can turn that waste into reclaimed hardware like buckles. The design will be available to all so we can start a recycling revolution.

How can business be sustainable?

We have to consume less, redefine success and cherish resources. We should aim for a donut economy, where all economic activity is within planetary and social boundaries. You don’t expect people to grow their family every year and it should be the same with business. When you are at maximum positive impact and regenerative ability, stop growing.

Trash to treasured

Check out Elvis & Kresse’s full range of sustainable accessories from bags and purses to belts and notebooks, plus a range of stylish homeware. elvisandkresse.com

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t more ab ou

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A DAY IN

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Paige Ferrier, Regional Pet Care Support at Wood Green, The Animals Charity, about her job supporting the fosterers who play a vital role in giving pets the chance for a new life I’ve worked at Wood Green for two years and my job is to support our fosterers, who are the life of the charity.

By taking pets into their homes, not only do they enable us to take more cats, dogs and small pets into our centres but they help those that need extra love and attention and give us a proper understanding of what a pet is like in a home environment, which is essential for finding them a permanent home.

Like many Wood Green staff, I foster myself and currently have a kitten called Buttercup with a prolapsed bum – I used to be a veterinary nurse so I’m OK with medical problems! I have two of my own cats – one ex-feral – so I can’t take many pets. In the future I want to dedicate myself to fostering so I can open my home to whatever animal needs me.

A typical day…

…. involves speaking with fosterers. I could be making sure they know their foster pet’s likes and dislikes before they receive them, offering advice on a problem or checking in with them for a general update. I might also book veterinary appointments, arrange for drivers to bring pets on-site for a check-up, look at re-homing requests or speak with my team about what fosterer is best for which pet.

We support Wood Green’s foster network to take care of pets, get them used to being handled and help them with any behavioural problems. For dogs, a common issue is reacting badly to other dogs and it’s our priority to get

.

these into foster homes quickly. Cat behavioural issues are usually caused by environmental changes – like new family members – so we get them into a calm space with an experienced fosterer and usually that solves it. Fosterers also take pets with medical issues and older ones who sadly aren’t adopted as quickly.

The hardest thing…

Future pets in need

Wood Green is based in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire and rehomes around 3,500 pets annually, as well as providing advice and support to pet owners in need all thanks to supporters’ generosity. woodgreen.org.uk

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… is not being able to find the right fosterer for a pet. Some dogs really struggle with kennel life and it’s heartbreaking but we must make sure fosterers have the right environment and are comfortable with the animal’s needs because the wrong foster home could make it worse.

People often don’t realise how much of a commitment fostering is, providing regular updates as well as care and training. Ideally, we like at least a year’s commitment but we provide all fosterers with the training and supplies they need.

The best thing…

…. Is when you see an animal blossom. I’ll never forget a dog we had called Wolfie, whose owners couldn’t keep him when their working hours increased. He was so stressed in kennels that he injured himself trying to get out. I asked a fairly new fosterer to take him on and with a lot of love and care he turned into an amazing dog.

He now lives with a lovely new owner who walks him on the beach every day.

Thanks to the fosterer he got another chance at life.

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THE MIGRANT & REFUGEE CRISIS

TOT

40,591

in numbers

2,868

The number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children

THE TOP FIVE NATIONS CLAIMING ASYLUM WERE: Iran Albania Iraq Eritrea Pakistan

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14 –

18-p

The social enterprise CLEAR VOICE provides interpreting and translation services throughout the UK and donates the profits back to Migrant Help

Number of asylum applications were refused

Und

16 –

Charity Migrant Help protects displaced people, helping them thrive and recover from trauma; strives to improve government policy and addresses hostility to migrants.

Here’s what they did between 2019 and 2020, plus some Home Office statistics for the year ending June 2020

8,673

CLA

3,435,644 minutes of telep interpreting

2,827 face to f appointmen

ASYLUM APPLICATIONS FROM THESE COUNTRIES ROSE SHARPEST: EL SALVADOR +106% YEMEN +93% NAMIBIA +60%

Migra Help as refugess t accommoda provides fi and emo suppo

68%

OF ASYLUM CASES WAITED MORE THAN SIX MONTHS FOR A DECISION

.

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AIMING ASYLUM IN THE UK

der 14: 5,284

– 15: 1,151

– 17: 2,943

53%

plus: 31,210

of asylum applications resulted in a grant of protection or some form of leave at the initial decision. The percentage rose to 81% for unaccompanied asylumseeking children

4 phone g

face nts

Number of EU citizens Migrant Help assisted to submit applications for settled status...

3,386

TAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE

Migrant Help also assists EU citizens living in the UK and supports them as they apply to remain postBrexit

Types of exploitation are: Labour exploitation 56% (363)

Migrant Help provides Sexual exploitation specialist support 19% (124) and accommodation Criminal exploitation to victims of human 11% (72) trafficking and slavery Domestic servitude

31,164

ant ssists to find ation and financial otional ort

10% (67)

Number of asylum seekers supported

MIGRANT HELP’S REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME HELPED 20 FAMILIES SETTLE INTO NEW COMMUNITIES FIND OUT MORE AT MIGRANTHELPUK.ORG

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A CLEAN AND

green future Travel Begins at 40 Founder Mark Bibby Jackson thinks that the travel and tourism sector will recover from a calamitous year by moving onwards and upwards

Let’s face it, 2020 was a pretty miserable year. It didn’t matter who you were - with the exception of Jeff Bezos nobody emerged unscathed.

The travel and tourism sector was particularly hard hit, with international flights and holidays ground to a standstill. There was a surge in domestic tourism towards the middle of the year, but the second wave of Covid-19 put paid to that as winter arrived.

A slow recovery

It would be great to predict that travel will rebound in 2021 but the reality will be different. Many parts of the world have either banned international travel or placed onerous restrictions upon entry, meaning the keenly awaited recovery is yet to come.

Domestic tourism should continue to fare better than international, but a whole sector upturn is largely dependent on the success of the vaccines and the establishment of a robust health passport scheme.

Whatever happens, the face of tourism will be considerably altered.

At least for the medium term it will become increasingly difficult just

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to jump on a plane, bus or train and wing it. Many destinations will demand onward tickets, insurance to cover any Covid-19-related complications and a full itinerary, including proof of hotel bookings.

The immediate future of travel is looking a lot less spontaneous as well as more digitised.

Positive ripples

In the long-term, travel could become more clean and green, especially since more travellers are showing that they want their holidays to be beneficial to the destination and the planet.

For many, community-based,

sustainable and eco-tourism have been phrases synonymous with a PR-driven greenwash aimed to salve the conscience of travellers sipping cocktails on perfectlymanicured beaches. But the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) released research from October 2020 which showed that more than half of consumers believe that the travel industry should reopen in a greener and more sustainable way.

That doesn’t just mean banning single-use Featuring great tra plastic and placing purely at independen over the age of 40, T a sign on your bed a website for people w asking for your sheets follow the crowd and wa not to be changed. and imaginatively.

The traveller of the #SustainableSunday, a 2020s wants their sustainable and regen we will be sharing a s holiday to be more Charitable meaningful, whether charitable.trave that involves acquiring at-4 a new skill, or forging equitable relationships with

About T Begins

.

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the host community. Travel Begins at 40 fully supports these kind of measures when they come from the heart rather than the pocket.

Regenerative tourism

But can you support a sustainable and eco-conscious tourism project in the Maldives, if your carbon footprint getting there is contributing to the climate change that will submerge the very same islands beneath rising ocean levels within your avel writing aimed lifetime? nt-minded travellers Travel Begins at 40 is That, says Professor who aren’t content to Geoffrey Lipman, is ant to travel responsibly “like changing the In 2021 it launched deckchairs on the series of articles about Titanic”. He is the nerative tourism and selection of these in man behind SUNx e Traveller.

Malta, an organisation el/travel-beginswhich established to 40 promote climate-friendly travel. Part of the SUNx

programme is a Climate Friendly Travel Ambitions Registry, where organisations can register their carbon plans in order to achieve the Paris Agreement 2050 targets, and last year SUNx Malta launched a diploma in climate-friendly travel which I enrolled in, having no idea what to expect.

Happily, I discovered that there is

Travel at 40

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a lot of hope within the travel and tourism sector. Many grassroots organisations are offering sustainable tourism products that contribute to the development of the local community. Internationally there is an expanding network of people committed to making the industry carbon-neutral by 2050, through initiatives such as carbon offsetting, sustainable aviation fuels and, by 2035, hopefully the first hydrogen-powered plane.

It might not seem like it at the moment, but there is hope that travel can rebound and in a much more positive direction than it was heading before the pandemic struck. Let us all play our part to ensure that the travel and tourism sector has a clean and green future.

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p to Europ tri

LIECHTENSTEIN

If you enjoy ticking off challenges, Liechtenstein offers quick wins. You can traverse the entire country relatively quickly, from side to side or top to tail.

We weren’t so ambitious, selecting Section One of the Panoramaweg trail (pleasingly, signposted as route 66). This 13km

The Triesenberger Wochen food festival serves up centuriesold dishes like Öpfelchüachli (apple-filled doughnuts) every nsplash

October/November

Mircea/Unsplash

High jinks

trek over Liechtenstein’s mountainous spine began with a ride on the disquietingly creaking chair lift from the eerily deserted ski resort of Malbun.

Despite it being september we found ourselves hiking in falling snow, reducing the famous views to murky smudges and making the knife-edge

BY SARAH KIDDLE

a/U Henrique Ferreir

Visiting the sixth smallest country in the world feels a little like stepping into the setting for an old-school thriller. Nestled between Switzerland and Austria, this double landlocked principality has the ironwilled ruler, fairy tale castles and rugged mountains beloved of romantic tales of daring exploits.

In fact, Liechtenstein is very civilised, one of the richest (and dearest!) countries in the world. Vaduz, the capital, sits on the River Rhine and boasts a turreted castle complete with resident Princely Family and 12th-century keep, a neo-gothic cathedral and museums of modern art and archaeology.

Book a

Novel material

Gutenberg Castle in Balzers is free to visit, and hosts outdoor concerts and plays in its rose gardens over summer 36

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ha at c ritab .travel le

Postcard from

e

.

ridges tricky to navigate.

After welcome respite in a mountain hut, the weather mellowed and we were treated to wonderful rolling vistas and the oddly comforting clang of enormous traditional cowbells. The charming, foolish faces of marmots, which popped up at regular intervals, cheered us further.

After an intrepid crossing over a freezing river, the comforts of Berggasthaus Sucka, a cosy Alpine lodge decorated with cowbells, were very welcome. There are no words to do justice to the oozy, cheesy goodness of the Tartiflette we that we all devoured for dinner.

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WHY I

donated... ...to Mind. Sophia Badger walked from London to Rome in memory of two friends who sadly took their own lives and in doing so raised thousands of pounds and vital awareness around mental health In 2018, in the space of seven weeks, I contacted the parents of my friends two friends from different parts of and they were so supportive and glad my life – one from University and one something good could come from a I met travelling – took their own lives. tragic situation. Mind was taken aback It was such a difficult thing to that I was going to walk 1,300 miles process but I felt this instant desire but once they knew I was physically to talk about it and to do something. and mentally up to it they got behind I wondered if I could have talked to me along with my friends and family. them more and I decided that it was I decided to add on 134km and start important to start speaking about from home and on July 1, 2019 I shut mental health in a more every day the door to my flat in North London sense. I needed to do something and started walking to Rome! The to facilitate that conversation and route took me through France, across that’s where the idea of walking from the Swiss Alps and into Italy.

London to Rome was born.

The walk taught me so many things, Browsing in a bookshop, the title among them to explore places off the Via Francigena leapt out at me. The beaten track. But the most amazing subtitle was ‘Canterbury to Rome’ and thing was the hospitality I received being half English, half Italian, I was – from B&B owners, monks and intrigued. I realised it was a pilgrimage nuns and people who welcomed me that passes close to where my mother into their homes. I even stayed in a was born. I’d recently lost my French manor house, with an beloved grandmother eccentric lady who was and the walk felt like a still hunting wild boar way of reconnecting in her 80s! I always with a part of my felt like someone Mind’s mission is to make sure that heritage I felt I’d was looking out no one faces a mental health problem lost through for me and it’s alone. As well as providing advice losing her. something I want and support to empower people, it

Talking is the first step

to try and give back in my life.

When people found out why I was doing the walk they were incredibly supportive and I was amazed by how many people shared their own mental health stories with me. I had a blog and was on Instagram a lot, talking about the walk and mental health.

Some days were amazing, like the day I crossed the Swiss Alps into Italy underneath a bluebird sky, but others were hard. I tried to be honest and not sugar coat the struggles I had and that resonated with people.

Walking into Rome I felt so many emotions – disbelief that I’d got there, accomplishment, but also sadness. I was enjoying the places, the people and the things I’d learnt about myself so it was bittersweet. Arriving at St. Peters Square, knowing where I’d come from, was overwhelming.

I raised over £15,000 and I’m so grateful to everyone who donated and supported me. I never dreamed I could raise so much. It was the icing on the cake.

campaigns to improve mental health services, raise awareness and promote understanding. mind.org.uk

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piggledy from the green.

The town is no polished film set either. Some of the shop fronts are nicely painted in bright colours, like mango and turquoise, but some are rusted, peeling and weather-beaten.

Tin-roofed shacks sell perfectly imperfect tropical fruits, laid out on wonky trestle tables covered in brightly-checked madras cotton.

Finding yourself in the location of a TV series or film can be quite discombobulating and even disappointing but that wasn’t the case for me, partly because Despite starring in one of the UK’s most watched Guadeloupe is everything you television shows, Guadeloupe remains one of the dream of in a Caribbean island and partly because I’d never Caribbean’s best kept secrets, says Laura Gelder actually seen Death in Paradise when I visited the island. ou don’t need to have that winds down from volcanic “Ahhh, you are English, you love watched Death in Paradise rainforest-smothered slopes. A Death in Paradise then?” asked to appreciate Deshaies, long pier stretches out the bar man, as he poured the little fishing town which into the blue bay my Carib beer the night stars as Honore in the TV series. where fishing before. He wasn’t The town hugs the lush north boats bob and the first person to La west coast of Basse Terre Island behind red roofs assume this or Désirade Grandeand is reached by a steep road rise higgledythe last, since the

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majority of Brits who make it to these French Caribbean islands are sailors or diehard ‘DiP’ fans.

Since returning I’ve watched many episodes (I thought I’d better after meeting its then star, Kris Marshall, and feeling distinctly guilty for lying to him as well).

For those of you who haven’t watched it either, let me sum it up. Its star is a bumbling British Detective Inspector (the latest incarnation played by Ralf Little).

His sidekick is a smart, beautiful French-Caribbean woman called Florence who gets away with wearing denim shorts to work.

Officers Dwayne and J.P provide a side dish of comedic value with

their old/young, traditional/modern act. They all work on the Caribbean island of Saint-Marie – full of rum, sun, sand and an awful of a lot of people getting bumped off.

Every episode a head-scratcher of a murder happens in an exotic location. They go in and ask lots of questions but appear stumped.

Photos of four suspects go up on a whiteboard and chins are scratched while red herrings are flung about and investigated.

The DI bumbles. Florence is calm and professional. Dwayne is a bit dim but knows everyone and his goat on the island. JP knows his way around a computer. But none of that matters because

Deshaies has a long pier that stretches out into the blue bay where fishing boats bob and behind red roofs rise higgledypiggledy from the green POINTE-A-PITRE

eventually someone will make an innocuous remark about coconuts and, cue the light bulb moment, there’s a close-up of the DI looking less confused and mumbling about how “it all makes sense now”. The suspects are gathered and, in dramatic Poirot fashion, he reveals who and how.

Over the years The Guardian has called it ‘formulaic’, ‘patronising’ and, at best, ‘meteorological escapism’. Nevertheless, it’s one of the BBC’s most successful programmes of all time and

THE ATLANTIC MEETS THE CARIBBEAN, GRAND-TERRE

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has garnered a global fan base.

Plus, let’s face it, predictability is an attractive quality in this era.

chicken will always come with a basket of excellent crusty bread.

Guadeloupe’s population mainly lives on its two largest islands, Fusion culture Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre, The archipelago of Guadeloupe is a which lie close together and French Overseas Territory and you resemble the wings of a butterfly. can’t fly to it directly from the UK The surrounding sea hugs a few but it’s all the better for it. more scattered isles, all of Its personality which make up Les Îles is chilled-out de Guadeloupe, linked Caribbean with by an efficient intermore than a island ferry service.

The Ocean Conservation dash of French For you DiP fans, Trust is working towards its vision of a healthier ocean all flair, where rum back in Deshaies around the world with its shacks exist next you can climb up coral reef and sea grass to sophisticated to the wooden deck restoration projects. bistros; colourful of Honore Police oceanconservation markets beside Station (actually the trust.org bouji boutiques. church hall) to pose Drinking wine over in front of the sign and long and leisurely lunches have a beer on the waterside is de rigeur in balmy Guadeloupe, deck which is Catherine’s Bar while dinner is preceded with an in the show (but actually a aperitif of ti punch, a sharp shot restaurant called Le Madras). of rum, lime and sugar which you Not far away is Plage la Perle, the make to your own taste – and peril. idyllic beach where the DI lives in Your grilled fish, fried plantain, his charmingly ramshackle hut. spicy cod fritters or curried Despite being a showstopper of a

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beach and a TV star, it’s surprisingly quiet. When I visited the DiP crew were filming a fashion show at one end and the odd local was taking a dip but otherwise it was all mine. There was no big resort, just a little cafe serving fried fish at plastic tables.

Much of the rest of Basse-Terre is mountainous, smothered in jungle and designated a national park.

Dominated by the lofty cone of La Soufriere volcano, the highest summit in the Lesser Antilles, here moss-covered trees tower into the

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Guadeloupe

On location The Caribbean has been known to host many-a film set. Here are some places you might recognise from the screen.

misty sky and rivers run from the mountains. The spectacular Les Chutes du Carbet is the highest waterfall in the lesser Antilles, a 245-metre triple cascade. More accessible is La Cascade aux Ecrevisses, which pours into a cool, fern-lined natural swimming pool.

A more cultivated slice of Basse-Terre worth seeing is the botanical garden, Les Jardins de Valombreuse. It’s bursting with vibrant tropical flowers and fragrant herbs, each carefully labelled and beautifully landscaped.

Marooned in paradise

To really appreciate Guadeloupe you have to get out on the water.

Boat companies pick visitors up from the hotels and a typical trip travels through the mangroves of Riviere Salee which separates the butterfly, and into the Grand FISH STEW

Cul-de-Sac Marin Nature Reserve.

Here, the boat stops to allow you to snorkel over a shipwreck and visit the tiny island of Ilet Caret to lie on the pure white sand and watch pelicans dive. Lunch is served in a half-ruined fisherman’s hut settled on a sandbank, where you eat fish and sip rum with your feet dangling into the sea.

A side of Guadeloupe not really shown on Death in Paradise is its capital Pointe-a-Pitre, a bustling town on Grande-Terre mixing modern and colonial architecture.

Here you can visit markets ranging from the tourist-friendly SaintAntoine, selling spices and rums, to the more rowdy fish markets lining the harbourside. Impressive 19th century buildings still line the streets, including the imposing Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul and the Museum Schoelcher, dedicated to the life and works of DESHAIES

Jamaica This is James Bond’s island, where his creater Ian Flemming spent much of his novel-writing days and where many films were set and filmed. Famous locations featured in Dr. No include Dunn’s River Falls and the Green Grotto Caves. If you’re more of a Cool Runnings fan then you wont be disappointed, you can actually take a bob-sled ride in Jamaica. It’s not on ice of course, but on a track that runs thrillingly fast through the jungle.

Puerto Rico Bond film GoldenEye was filmed here, against the backdrop of the enourmous Arecibo Observatory, an astonomy centre in the jungle.

Johnny Depp also popped up here to film The Rum Diaries, with the historic city of San Juan amongst numerous stunning locations.

Wei Zeng/Unsplash

LA CASCADE AUX ECREVISSES

St. Vincent & the Grenadines Pirates of the Caribbean has been filmed all over the region but perhaps the most iconic locations were in these windward islands.

The outer Grenadine island of Petite Tabac became the deserted isle where Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly) are abandoned by dastardly Captain Barbossa in the first film, while the harbour of Port Royal was built on St. Vincent itself.

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But if you really want laid back, head to the islands of Les Saintes. An archipelago in itself, it’s made up of nine islets but just two are inhabited, Terrede-Haut and Terre-de-Bas. Arriving in Terre-de-Haut is like arriving in a different country. This part of Guadeloupe was originally inhabited by Bretons and Normans and the locals still have a very distinctive look. Straight off the

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Islands within islands

ferry you can wander among the small, brightly-painted houses, shops and restaurants scattered along the waterfront and buy the local cherry jam or a salako, a traditional hat made with slats of bamboo and worn by fishermen.

The island is scattered with pretty fishing villages reached by winding roads and topped by the looming Fort Napoleon. The ramparts of this museum are scattered with cactuses and sunbathing iguanas and it has spectacular views of Les Saintes Bay, surely one of the world’s most beautiful.

I didn’t get to visit the island of Marie-Galante, famous for its rum, ox carts, windmills and turtles, or La Desirade, which is a nature and geological reserve, but I was already sold.

For your next meteorological escape I urge you to consider a trip to Les Iles de Guadeloupe. I guarantee that you will come back singing, ‘non, je ne regrette rien’.

Take a

an activist who helped abolish slavery in Guadeloupe. You can discover more about that at the Memorial ACTe, an impressive modern monument and museum for the victims of the slave trade.

Outside the city, the pace slows again and acres of sugar cane fields have given rise to quite a few rum distilleries where tours and tastings take in the original sugar mills alongside the working machinery of today.

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BALI, INDONESIA Hugely popular with digital nomads, compact Bali is affordable, has great weather, good food (local and western), strong wifi and a relaxed atmosphere with leisure options galore, from surfing to yoga retreats. Because it was popular for remote working before remote working was popular, Bali has a huge choice of co-working spaces and coffee shops which welcome freelance foreigners, particularly in Canggu and Ubud.

However, visas aren’t straightforward and many workers exist on visitor visas, leaving the country regularly in order to renew them – fine if you’re travel blogger, not so good if you’re a lawyer.

Birgit Loit/Unsplash

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA Infamous for being the home of drug lord Pablo Escobar, Colombia’s ‘city of eternal spring’ has cleaned up its act since the days of the cartel and become a hotspot for remote workers, in particular entrepreneurs and start-ups. A friendly ex-pat scene makes this metropolitan hub feel less daunting while good wifi and cheap living costs are a big draw. Speaking Spanish is an advantage. The city is in a valley but surrounded by nature, including Parque Arví with its pre-Hispanic ruins and eucalyptus forest. Further south of the city is the coffee region.

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ESTONIA Estonia’s new Digital Nomad visa allows foreigners to live and work for up to a year for €100 if they have an income of just over £3,000 a month. The ex-Soviet country was the first in the world to declare internet access a human right and is dubbed the most advanced digital society in the world (99% of its public services are online), but it’s still relatively cheap to live. Estonia’s unique culture is influenced by its Baltic neighbours as well as Nordic Finland and its draws include attractive medieval cities, a Baltic coast of sandy beaches and islands covered in pine and juniper forests and untamed national parks home to bears and lynxes.

Matthew Waring/Unsplash

Covid-19 has made working from home a more accepted norm but who is to say ‘home’ has to be your regular one? Here are some more exciting places you could work from

BARBADOS Barbados launched the Welcome Stamp last summer, a 12-month visa allowing remote workers to do their business from a Caribbean beach, or wherever else on the tropical island they fancy. For just over £2,500 per person (or around £2,300 for a family) the destination promises a great work-life balance thanks a solid infrastructure, stable economy, good healthcare facilities and education and reliable and fast internet, as well as beautiful beaches and a culture ‘based around food and partying’.

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Get to know...

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CARTAGENA

Cartagena Bogota COLOMBIA

Eat at one of the city’s many ceviche stands, selling pots of prawns, octopus or snails with piquant onions, chilli and lime juice. Have a mojito atop the city’s ancient ramparts at Café del Mar and watch the lights from Bocagrande coruscate across the water. Then head out of Old Town to edgy Getsemaní’s Plaza de la Trinidad, where young locals gather to sip fruit cocktails laced with lethal Aguardiente, old men play dominos and bars host spontaneous salsa dancing until late.

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OLD TOWN CARTAGENA’S

CASTLE

SamantaBR/Pix abay

Eat, drink, dance

Cartagena was founded in 1533 by the Spanish and became an important port for storing looted gold. It was attacked by Sir Francis Drake but recovered and went on to be a centre of the slave trade. You can dip into the city’s dark past at The Palace of the Inquisition, a beautiful building which was used to stamp out resistance to catholicism and now displays the instruments of torture used to do it alongside pre-Columbian pottery and other artefacts which shed a light on the city’s past. A must-visit is Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the impressive Spanish fortress which still looms over the city.

Explore the impregnable tunnels and enjoy the commanding views of both the old and new Cartagena from its battlements.

Cristina Lopes

Cartagena de Indias is a Colombian city on the Caribbean coast. The historic walled Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site where crumbling colonial casas have been lovingly restored alongside modern neighbourhoods like Bocagrande, with its Miami-style high-rises.

History lessons

Juniorlink/Pixabay

What ;s it all about?

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Need somewhere to stay? Try these

Beach time

About a 45 minute boat ride from the humid city is the attractive sandy beach of Playa Blanca. It can be lively, with partying Colombians carrying cool boxes and ghetto blasters, so walk away from the entry points to find tropical bliss and a gently swaying hammock. Further out are the Rosario Islands, an archipelago within a national marine park. Here, popular activities, aside from relaxing, include kayaking through mangroves.

Sofitel Legend Santa Clara This hotel was originally built as a convent in 1621 but its terracotta cloisters are now a refuge for weary tourists.

The hotel has an oasis-like pool surrounded by palms and two restaurants serving Old World and French cuisine in distressed New World surroundings.

A PALENQUERA FRUIT SELLER

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Hotel LM Boutique options are abundent in Cartagena and Hotel LM is one of the best.

With just seven rooms, it feels exclusive and mixes minimalist style with the building’s classic colonial features.

Best of all, the pool terrace has stunning views of the cathedral dome.

Rainbow hues in Old Town

Inside the thick city walls of Cartagena’s Old Town are a labyrinth of streets lined with houses painted candy colours: mint green, cornflower blue, coral orange and many more. Hot-pink bouganvillea tumbles from every balcony and around each corner is a new plaza, hiding a crumbling church, boutique shop, or a pavement cafe perfect for watching the world go by. There are too many plazas to mention but don’t miss Plaza de Santo Domingo. Dominated by the distressed ochre walls of its eponymous church, it’s packed with cafe tables that are great for people watching and home to Colombian artist Fernando Botero’s sculpture of a rather fat-bottomed girl. Swirls of pigeons flutter outside the imposing church that dominates Plaza de San Pedro Claver, but it’s the wrought-iron street sculptures depicting street sellers and artisans that are the most interesting feature.

Wherever you go you’ll find colour and character, not least in the city’s Palenqueras, the vibrantly dressed women selling fruit on every street corner.

Hip Getsemaní was once a hot bed of drugs and prostitution but now houses cool bars and street art

Mud, glorious mud

A popular day trip from Cartagena is the El Totumo mud volcano. Admittedly, it’s a tourist trap, but no less fun for it. About 15 metres high, the cone is reached via a slippery staircase and a ladder down into the dense, warm, mineral-rich sludge. Afterwards you head to a lake to be scrubbed vigorously clean by local women.

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EL TOTUMO MUD VOLCANO

PLAZA DE LA TRINIDAD

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Cruising

Voyage to the end

OF THE WORLD Sailing through one of the most remote regions on earth means a cruise line has a big responsibility to care for the shores its passengers alight on, discovers Jeannine Williamson in Patagonia

H

olding firmly onto the ship’s handrail I extend a tentative rubber booted foot towards the rigid inflatable boat gently bobbing on the water below. Heeding the advice of the previous evening’s introductory talk I’m dressed “like an onion”, and in so many layers I bear more than a passing resemblance to the Michelin tyre man.

I’m certainly not kitted out to do any dainty dance steps but that’s the advice being issued by expedition leader Cristobal Villanueva. “Remember to do the cha cha cha as you get on the RIB,” he says. “Step on the step, step on the boat and then step inside.”

Three easy moves later and I’m sitting next to a small group of

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fellow passengers and we head out across Admiralty Sound, an offshoot of the Strait of Magellan.

It was just over 500 years ago that Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan discovered this strait while leading the first expedition to successfully circumnavigate the globe. It’s a natural passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean but at one time the corridor of icy cliffs stretching across Patagonia was seemingly impenetrable and impossible to navigate. Today it still remains one of the most isolated spots on earth and Australis is the only expedition cruise company to navigate the narrow fjords and shallow bays in the wake of Magellan and his pioneering men.

Delicate habitats

Alighting from the RIB at Ainsworth Bay is much easier. Crew members have put down a gangplank and I step out onto springy, wet grass. We set off on a nature hike and I begin to shed the onion-skin as I warm up, making a mental note not to wear so much the next day. We follow our guide into a sub-polar forest, stopping along the way as he spots calafate bushes huddling under trees and shrubs. The purple berries guarded by sharp thorns punctuate the verdant surroundings like small jewels and we stoop to taste them.

They’re like blueberries - only better.

Deep in the woodland we pause at a crystal-clear waterfall tumbling down an emerald moss-covered rock face. Nearby is a small tree with

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an incongruous yellow tag and I wonder how on earth it got there.

All becomes clear when we’re told that in 2013 a Chilean scientific organisation (CEQO) launched a unique and subsequently awardwinning conservation initiative in partnership with Australis to monitor the marine environment.

Our guide says we’ll hear more about it in the ensuing days.

For now it’s time to head back to the 200-passenger Ventus Australis for lunch which, with sister ship Stella Australis, sails four and eightnight itineraries from September to April - from Punta Arenas in Chile to Ushuaia in Argentina, or the reverse - around the Patagonian fjords and islands of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. These isles span almost

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29,000 square miles with around two thirds governed by Chile and the rest by Argentina. Along with the Strait of Magellan, the network of connecting bodies of water include other evocative and fabled names such as the Beagle Channel and Drake Passage.

I’ve been assigned a dining table with fellow Brits and a Canadian couple and wine and other drinks are all included in the fare so it’s no surprise that the on board atmosphere is very convivial as we get to know each other.

Parading with penguins

That afternoon we cha cha cha back onto the RIBs and sail west along the sound to the cluster of small islands that make up Tucker

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Islets. More than 4,000 Magellanic penguins nest, hatch and nurture their chicks here and our helmsman steers the RIB close to the shore.

I delight at the spectacle of the large colony languishing on the shoreline, oblivious to our presence, and the unusual sight of penguins waddling off into long grass.

The adults stand out, with their distinctive monochrome uniform of a thick black ‘necklace’ and a pair of black bands running across their creamy bellies. One is even more noticeable as it is completely white, a rare genetic quirk. Larger chicks stand longingly at the water’s edge, getting ready to moult their ugly duckling plumage in order to take the plunge for the first time. Until that happens they remain beach

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bound and awkwardly fluffy. and the cinnamon flash of Chilean We watch, spellbound, for an skuas soaring overhead. Most hour before the RIB darts between breath-taking of all is the hunched some of the other islets. Patagonia outline of an Andean condor. The is a paradise for birdwatchers and largest bird in Patagonia, it cuts a we get close-up views of groundfigure that’s both menacing and nesting imperial majestic as it stands on a crag, cormorants scanning the rocky nursery for guarding their any eggs left unattended. eggs from Eventually it gives up and, predators on with a few slow-motion Australis’ cruises between bare rocks flaps of a 10-foot Ushuaia and Punta Arenas can wingspan, its huge be combined with another cruise, including the Falkland Islands, a bulk takes off to seek new trip to Argentinian wine country feeding grounds. or any other iconic Latin To top it off, enroute back American experience. Just to the ship dolphins follow ask Charitable Travel’s the RIBs, diving playfully experts in the wash. There’s certainly plenty to talk about at dinner!

How to book

Ice time

Next morning we arrive in Pia Fjord and after lunch disembark to visit the glacier of the same name, which is the largest and most active in Patagonia. Set against snowy

CABIN WITH A VIEW

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DINNER IS SERV ED ONBOARD

mountains gleaming icy blue in the cloudless sky it’s incredible to see. Even more so when a loud creaking, followed by a thunderous crack, breaks our awe-struck silence.

This is called calving and a piece of ice nearly 100ft high breaks away from the glacier and pierces the motionless water below, triggering waves carrying shards of shattered ice that make the RIBs pitch and roll in the maelstrom.

Nearly 90% of Chile’s glaciers are

Cruising

WALKING AT CAPE HORN

Set sail

Here are some other remarkable remote destinations which can be explored via an expedition cruise…

The Arctic Spitsbergen, the only permanently populated island in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago is one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas. During the summer it is the gateway to Arctic sailings to spot polar bears and dramatic scenery.

The Galapagos This volcanic archipelago off the Ecuadorian coast is the ultimate trip for wildlife lovers,with 27 species unique to the islands. Visited by naturalist Charles Darwin this is the place where he developed his groundbreaking theory of evolution.

Antarctica South America’s southernmost tip leads to the most isolated continent on the globe. The frozen landscape is explored on daily Zodiac excursions or kayak expeditions. Combine a cruise with a stay in the buzzing Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires.

The Amazon South America’s largest river flows for 4,345 miles and more than 60% of Peruvian territory is covered by the Amazon rainforest. River cruises go from Iquitos, a two-hour flight from Lima, or on Brazilian seas cruises sailing to Manaus, 1,000 miles inland.

PIA GLACIER

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here and the following day we listen to another insightful lecture before sailing deeper into ‘glacier alley’.

“Glaciers are like people, they may look the same but they are all very different,” says Cristobal, as he explains how our guides act as the eyes and ears of scientists and collect data for studies and reports.

There’s a fixed camera at Pia

A loud creaking, followed by a thunderous crack, breaks our awe-struck silence as a piece of ice breaks away from the glacier and pierces the motionless water Glacier which takes a photo four times a day at the same time and sends it to the scientific programme, which is monitoring the advancing or retreating of the glacier, we’re told.

“Scientists don’t have the chance to come here very often as it is very expensive to do so,” says Cristobal.

“But we are here all the time during the season so we record data. It also gives our guests the most accurate and up to date information.”

It turns out that the crew on the first Zodiac of the day, which takes the gangplank to the places we land, also carries out surveys in a set area of land at each place as well as taking water samples. They record

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flora and fauna.

“There’s a seagull colony where we count the number of adults, juveniles and chicks - it requires binoculars and patience,” says Cristobal, laughing.

Overnight we sail towards Nassau Bay, reaching the legendary Cape Horn at dawn. The excitement is palpable at breakfast as the ship

can only land passengers on the notoriously windswept island if weather and sea conditions permit. We’re lucky and scale the steps leading to the 1,394-foot high promontory overlooking the tempestuous waters of the Drake Passage. At one time it was the only navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic, and referred to as the ‘End of the Earth.

That night I sip a fanshop, a refreshing Chilean tipple of beer and orange soda, and swap tales with fellow shipmates. We’ve bonded over an extraordinary voyage that lives, breathes and – via the scientific programme – protects the wild, untamed beauty of Patagonia.

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Jamaica Inn, Jamaica

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BADA VALLEY, INDONESIA Hidden in the mountainous central mass of Indonesia’s fourarmed island, Sulawesi, are scattered some 400 ancient stone megaliths of unknown origin. These intriguing relics could be over 5,000 years old and a good selection can be found – with the help of a guide – in the Bada Valley. Enigmatic statues, reminiscent of the Easter Island megaliths, join huge, mysterious stone jars and giant faces which are carved into the jungle-clad rock cliffs like a rugged version of Mount Rushmore.

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PROCIDA ISLAND, ITALY One of the Flegrean Islands in southern Italy’s Bay of Naples, tiny Procida has been named Italian Capital of Culture for 2022. The island has been featured in films including The Postman and The Talented Mr.Ripley and is famous for its picturesque ice cream-coloured houses. Procida took the culture crown thanks to its “model for sustainable development based on the culture of the island,” which has a strong arts scene and a rich history that includes the ancient Greeks.

CUEVA DE LAS MANOS, ARGENTINA This remote marble ‘cave of a thousand hands’ is in Patagonia’s Río de Las Pinturas canyon and is best accessed off Ruta 40, Argentina’s longest road which travels about the equivalent of Amsterdam to Kabul. The vividly painted hands are believed to have been inscribed 10,000 years ago and other paintings, depicting hunting scenes and geometric patterns, are thought to be even older.

PERISTERA, GREECE The first underwater museum in Greece should be a much-needed boost for tourism this year, at the site of an ancient shipwreck in the National Marine Park of Alonissos and Northern Sporades. This part of the Aegean is the largest protected marine area in Europe and the 2,500 year-old Athenian merchant ship supports a colourful eco-system of sponges, coral, fish and eels, which peek out from ancient jars used to store wine and olive oil. On the surface, non-divers can watch live video and spot rare Mediterranean monk seals.

five little-known

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CULTURAL SITES MEROË, NORTHERN SUDAN Sudan’s ancient city of Meroë was the southern capital of the kingdom of Kush, which has the largest number of pyramids in the world and reigned for over 1,000 years in the Nubia region around the River Nile. Though overshadowed by their neighbours, the Egyptians, the Kushites had a distinctive, rich and sophisticated culture, famous for its warrior queens. Meroë’s 200 tall and slender pyramids spike out of the stark, windswept Nubian desert and the Sudanese government wants to increase visitors to this overlooked wonder.

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The World Tourism Association for Culture & Heritage picks out five must-see wonders that don’t get the attention they deserve

WTACH out!

The World Tourism Association for Culture & Heritage (WTACH) ensures that unique history and cultural values are preserved via ethical tourism. wtach.org

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NEW MEXICO

Santa Fe Albuquerque

New Mexico

RETRO PETROL PUMPS

Roswell

White Sands

WHITE SANDS NATIONAL PARK

New Mexico isn’t all desert, the state has five national forests and is home to the southern end of the Rockie Mountains – it even has eight ski resorts – while the mighty Rio Grande River carves through the state north to south.

Having said that, probably the most amazing landscape in New Mexico is part of the Chihuahuan Desert. The dazzling dunes of White Sands National Monument is the largest gypsum dune field in the world - gypsum being a substance that, unlike sand, dissolves in water.

Other natural wonders include the fertile meadows and streams of Valles Caldera National Preserve, the site of one of America’s three super volcanoes and the tipi-shaped formations of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.

Road trip

New Mexico begs for a road trip. The High Road between Taos and Santa Fe passes wind-carved badlands and high desert strewn with bushy piñon and juniper, the Jemez Mountains in the distance. And the Turquoise Trail takes in ex-mining towns, now quirky artists’ colonies and graveyards for rusted 1950s Americana.

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THE TENT ROCKS

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This southwest state, littleknown by British travellers, got a boost when it was the location for a TV series about a teacher and his expupil making class-A drugs. Breaking Bad’s portrayal of New Mexico is less than salubrious but it shows off the spectacular desert. In reality, the state offers far more diverse landscapes and a rich culture blending spiritual Native American roots with colonial Spanish history.

Natural wonders

Lauren Thimmesch/Unsplash

What's it all about?

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And another thing If you like quirky you’ll like New Mexico. Check out these weird places...

Inspiring art

Gabriel Tovar/Unsplash

Truth or Consequences In 1950 NBC Radio host Ralph Edwards promised free publicity to the first U.S town to change its name to that of his game show and the rest is history.

Now referred to as ‘T or C’, it sits on the banks of the Rio Grande and has several hot springs.

Roswell The famous Roswell incident in 1947 - where a farmer discovered what many think was the remains of a UFO - has made the town a centre for extra terrestrial enthusiasts. Visit the International UFO Museum and the UFO-shaped McDonalds.

ADOBE ARCHITECTURE, SANTA FE

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There are 23 Indian tribes in New Mexico, all with distinct cultures. Taos Pueblo is one native community and the oldest continuously inhabited one in North America. Its adobe, multistoried homes are what inspired contemporary New Mexico’s predominant architecture, though the curved buildings aren’t made from mud and straw anymore.

Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres of canyon and mesa (flat-topped ridges) and a human history dating back over 11,000 years. Head here to see petroglyphs and explore cave dwellings reached by ladder.

Nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (meaning blood of Christ because of the red glow around them at sunrise) is Chimayó, a tiny community founded by Spanish settlers in the 17th century and famous for it twin-towered adobe chapel where a healing took place.

New Mexico’s wild west culture is evident in its ex-mining towns, some ghost towns, others now artists’ colonies. Silver City was the first place to arrest Billy the Kid.

The Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway passes scenery from films Easy Rider and Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid

Fusion food

CHILI RISTRAS

Ristras, bunches of dried red chillies, hang everywhere and set the tone for the cuisine, which fuses Native American, early Spanish and Mexican. Red or green chilli sauce comes with everything and typical dishes include chilli relleno, a cheese-stuffed and battered green chili pepper and sopaipilla, fried bread dipped in honey.

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History & heritage

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They say that it’s the clarity of the light that draws so many artists to New Mexico, in particular Santa Fe. Georgia O’Keeffe was one and has a museum dedicated to her while Canyon Road has over 100 galleries displaying everything from native buffalo hide paintings to conceptual sculptures in whitewalled rooms while the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts has the largest collection of its kind in the world.

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Southern ways

Garamanjyaku. Its owner Kiyoko Yamashiro prepared my lunch in what she called ‘Grandma’s kitchen’ as I sat cross-legged at the low table, looking out of the sliding doors to the damp, green garden of this little wooden house. “It’s all down to nuchi gusto,” she explained. This means ‘food is medicine’ and it must be

Mai Hoang/Unsplash

Okinawa is the most southerly prefecture in Japan and only became part of the country in 1879.

An island chain stretching 1,000km, its capital Naha is closer to Taiwan than Tokyo.

During World War Two the main island, also called Okinawa, was invaded by U.S. troops and nearly half the population died or committed suicide after 82 days of bombardment known as the ‘rain of steel’.

U.S. troops are still stationed in Okinawa and their cultural influence lingers too – the endless stalls of tourist tat along Naha’s Kokusai Street peddle Hawaiian shirts alongside dried fish snacks and silk kimonos.

Okinawa was home of the Ryuku Kingdom, which traded with other cultures when Japan was isolated

Growing old gracefully

Okinawa is a ‘Blue Zone’ region, where people live notably long lives and I found out one of the reasons why during lunch, at Cafe

Off Naha is Nagannu, a sliver of an island carpeted in boneand tropical screw pines, visited by humpback whales

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because the women here live on average 87 years; men a notably lower 77. “Because they drink more sake and do less work”, said Kiyoko, totally serious.

I felt healthier just looking at my plate. Colourful clusters of grated carrot, juicy yellow star fruit, mauve fried taro, earthy mushrooms, green beans, herb-flecked tofu and sticky rice speckled with peas – all local vegetables and herbs.

As I tucked in a tabby cat padded silently across the tatami mat floor while a stone kettle bubbled cheerily on the glowing coal hearth at the centre of the table, the witchy-looking herbs sprouting out of it giving off a calming aroma.

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Sao Tome

A lost world

Sao Tome

Once an Atlantic outpost of colonial Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe is now Africa’s second-smallest nation and a captivating twin-island paradise, says Laura Gelder

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here’s a story being acted out in front of me which no one seems able to explain but it involves a cowboy riding a ragged pantomime horse made from a white sheet, a creepy doll with a hole in it, the devil, some big coconuts and a man having a retro telephone pulled out of his backside. In terms of making an impression, Sao Tome is really nailing it – and I haven’t left the airport yet.

We flew via a grey November Lisbon and stopped at a steamy Accra before arriving as the sun

set. The island’s coast looked wild and wicked from above, with black rocks dashed by white waves; the interior mercilessly green, with thick jungle and velveteen hills.

The airport was cramped and basic and the fresh air outside a relief but the heat is settling around me like a blanket now, and the frenzied drumbeat and shrieking whistles ring in my ears.

There are about 30 masked dancers and musicians, some in green and white silk costumes with colourful carnival-esque headdresses; some just wearing

ragged shorts and shirts with freaky masks – one man has improvised by strapping a ripped up beer box to his face. Without a local to hand the story is left unexplained, so I just take it as ‘welcome to Sao Tome’.

The following morning I awake in my hotel to sunshine, palm trees and a tempting strip of beach under my balcony and the arrival seems like a dream. Sao Tome and Principe is my first foray into West Africa and all I know so far is that it’s dubbed the Galapagos of Africa.

The twin-island nation is an

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Sao Tome

ex-Portuguese colony, sprouting out of the Atlantic Ocean around 450 miles off Gabon. After being discovered in the late 1400s it became a major exporter of sugar cane, worked by slaves shipped in from across the African continent.

After a decline in production and brief Dutch rule, the Portuguese re-took the islands and introduced cash crops of coffee and cocoa.

Sao Tome and Principe became independent in 1975 and it still produces these.

The plantations will have to wait though,

because my visit is starting in the island’s eponymous capital.

Colour & chaos

Our first stop is the weatherbeaten Fort Sao Sebastiao, which is fronted by rusted mooring posts that look like rotten teeth bared to the sea.

Archeological decay is evident everywhere, in the faded grandeur of the pastel pink Town Hall, with its peeling green shutters and moulded balustrades, and in the dark confines of the city’s market. Here, I pick my way over a wet concrete floor. Mould is creeping up the walls, the electricity is dead and only shafts of daylight cracking through the roof light the room, giving it a jaundiced look. My male companions hover protectively but it’s safe and we get a warm welcome from the beaming owner of a knock-off t-shirt shop.

Outside the market is like 4D technicolour in comparison –

SAO TOME’S MARKET

shouting, beeping cars, a whistling policeman, fish blood running in the gutters, flies buzzing over meat, the smell of warm, ripe fruit and dazzling colour – from the produce and from the women selling it in their bright African prints, shaded by vivid umbrellas.

Heading north out of town, we whizz past numerous roadside villages with tin-roofed shacks and

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Sao Tome

almost bare shops displaying single bunches of bananas or a few tots of the local tipple, palm wine, which is sold in recycled plastic bottles.

Our guide surprises us with two musical performances - dancing school girls meet us in a playground, grinding their hips like Rihanna with a nonchalant air. And later, singing women of Cape Verde descent surprise us at the side of a once grand, poker-straight road on former plantation Agostinho Neto.

Afterwards, we follow the broken concrete to a derelict hospital where squatters’ washing flutters from the gutted windows and drapes over the once elegant curved staircase.

A wild coast

The next day we head south and happen on the wild coast I spied from the plane. Boca de Inferno, or Hell’s Mouth, is the first photo stop.

This striking black rock promontory curls into the ocean like a comma, its circular bulk surrounded by a boiling sea and occupied by a lone

mountains and the road.

We round a bend and, like a giant finger, Pico Cao Grande pokes the heavens defiantly. The 386-metre volcanic plug peak is apparently treacherous – slippery with moss, more often than not veiled in mist, surrounded by thick ferns and vines and ‘an abundance of snakes’, some of which inhabit the dark tower itself.

BirdLife International is a Apparently climbers conservation charity working have been known in Sao Tome but it has adapted to scale it though. it programmes to address the We catch an economic and social crisis overcrowded boat to caused by the pandemic.

Ilheu das Rolas and birdlife.org its four-star Pestana Resort, feeling like we’re on holiday instantly thanks to cold towels on arrival, wood chalets and a huge pool – the largest in West Africa we’re told – where we watch the sun sink into the sea bang on 6pm.

The island lies directly on the equator and in the morning we take

ROCA AGUA IZE

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PICO CAO GRANDE

The only sounds are the faint shouts of fishermen and the wind in the palms as we eat fried fish and plantain with rice fisherman in a red t-shirt.

We stop for lunch in Sao Joao Anglares, a village at the centre of Sao Tome’s distinct Angolares community, a group of fishing people who speak their own language and are descended from runaway slaves.

Restaurant Mionga overlooks the mangroves, the black sand flats of the river and the ashen beach and sea beyond. The only sounds are the faint shouts of fishermen and the wind in the palms as we eat fried fish and plantain with rice.

As we head further south the villages are sparser and the roads increasingly potholed. Then the palm oil plantations begin, at first blending insidiously with the indigenous vegetation until I notice how perfectly planted they are, like soldiers lined up between the

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a walk through the jungle, past sleeping pigs, to the centre of the earth, posing for silly pictures on a tiled world map which is laid out on the forest floor but slowly being reclaimed by it, like many manmade constructions in Sao Tome Guests are free to walk beyond the hotel and I have a bananashaped beach to myself one morning and spend an afternoon as the sole tourist on another, watching some men load their boat with coconuts under moody skies.

Back on the main island, we pass more abandoned plantations, or rocas as they are known. We stop at Roca Agua Ize, which still produces cocoa, albeit in much smaller quantities. Sacks of cocoa beans are stacked in the vast warehouses, lit by dusty shafts of natural light. The grand house itself is a gutted shell

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DANCING SCHOOL GIRLS

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My last night is spent in the luxury of the Club Santana Resort, where I eat Brazilian-style barbeque, take a bamboo stick stretching class and lounge on a black sand beach watching little fishing boats pass, their single square sails fluttering.

Sao Tome is not your average holiday destination and at times the poverty and decay can be upsetting.

It’s visited by only a handful of tour operators but it has so much more to offer than what I’ve seen. Sister island Pricipe for starters, which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

But the image of decline I’ll take with me is a comforting one. It seems to me that it’s Mother Nature who’s painting the roca walls in moss, snaking her arms treacherously through roofs and sprouting green tresses defiantly out of glassless windows. It’s an inevitable but atmospheric repossession – justified revenge on the colonists – and will be my abiding memory of Sao Tome.

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but a group of children that live in the ruins take my hand and lead me up the grandiose staircase to proudly show me the million dollar sea view from their roof terrace.

Lunch is at Casa Museu Almada Negreiros, named after the Portuguese artist and built on the site of his former home. The restaurant and museum is in a wooden house, an open terrece perched above the green trees where we are served traditional cusine, beautifully presented by a team of proud local chefs.

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Sao Tome

A WILD, ROCKY CO AST

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Ten luxury family resorts

Top ten

LUXURY FAMILY RESORTS

Charitable Travel’s luxury expert Lizzi Trimble shares her top resort recommendations for a family holiday in the lap of luxury

T

he pandemic has affected each family differently but most will admit that being in lockdown with children has been challenging and, at times, fractious.

Never has a holiday been so anticipated! If you’re one of the lucky ones that has been able to save up a bigger budget for your next trip, here are our suggestions for a family treat.

Jumby Bay Island, Antigua Lizzi says: “Set on a 300-acre island, 10 minutes by boat from Antigua, this resort has fabulous facilities and children can roam free in complete safety.”

Guests can arrive by private yacht and check into a luxurious suite or villa steps from the Caribbean Sea. The Camp Jumby Pavilion has fun and games for three to 11-year-olds with programmes like Little Chefs, Wildlife and Ocean Adventures, Discover Science and Pirates of the Caribbean. Older kids can try watersports or join a mocktail mixology class.

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Park Hyatt St. Kitts Lizzi says: “A very upmarket, purposebuilt hotel with stunning modern décor including glass and water features, plus the famous Camp Hyatt kids club.”

Spanning the secluded Banana Bay with its golden sandy beach at the foot of rolling hills, this resort has a pool dedicated to families but some suites feature private roof-top pools and sundecks. The complimentary kids club, Island Fort, entertains children aged from three to twelve years with a mix of outdoor activities, storytelling, arts and crafts.

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Ten luxury family resorts

Ritz-Carlton Abama Tenerife Lizzi says: “Perfect for a quick break, this resort has a huge kids club, fabulous accommodation in rooms and villas, fine dining for parents and a lovely, secluded location.”

The Ritz-Carlton is in a central location on Tenerife for land and sea adventures and boasts the largest Ritz Kids club in Europe. Based around an environmental programme by ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau, it fosters a sense of adventure by encouraging exploration, There is a science lab, soft play area, planetarium, garden and playground.

Four Seasons Resort Nevis Lizzi says: “Recently renovated, this resort is set on a secluded and stunning beach. Great dining and a fabulous kids club make this an island paradise for families.”

This resort has villas with up to five bedrooms and a pool.

The complimentary Kids For All Seasons club takes those aged three to nine for supervised activities including reading, games, painting and scavenger hunts. Kids can also get involved in a turtle education programme or play eco-bio golf on the beach (the balls turn into fish food).

Travel Kind is here to help you enjoy all the world has to offer, without contributing to animal cruelty.

Seeing animals when on holiday can be a highlight. However, there could be a sinister truth behind tourist attractions that feature live animals.

It’s not only wildlife. Domesticated animals endure cruel treatment to cart us around, and strays or community animals are vulnerable to abuse or teasing, and also pose a health and safety risk to travellers.

But help is at hand. FOUR PAWS has advice on how to make the most of your trip without causing animals to suffer for your entertainment or convenience.

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Ten luxury family resorts

One&Only Le St. Géran, Mauritius Lizzi says: “This incredibly stylish resort is the Grand Dame of Mauritius. Beautiful views and meals for adults and a great choice of watersports and kids clubs.”

The resort has three clubs: KidsOnly for three to seven year-olds, TweensOnly for eight to 12 years and One Tribe for eight to 17 years. Kids can enjoy their own chill-out zones for meeting and mingling with friends and enjoy activities like treasure hunts, table tennis tournaments, snorkelling trips, bonfires and karaoke.

Forte Village Resort, Sardinia Lizzi says: “ A superb resort with sporting activities suitable for young kids up to teenagers and Children’s Wonderland, absolutely dedicated to little ones.”

Set in 50 hectares of gardens along a white sand beach, this resort has five five-star hotels and 13 luxury villas with private pools. Families have a choice of gourmet and buffet restaurants, numerous pools and infinite activities. Children’s wonderland includes a theatrical workshop, two pools, a Barbie-themed area, child-sized village and vegetable garden.

Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai Lizzi says: “One of the first luxury hotels in Dubai but it has still got it and now it is attached to the famous Wild Wadi Waterpark!”

This wave-shaped hotel is in an established and buzzing beachside area of Dubai and gives guests free access to the Wild Wadi’s thrilling slides and fun pools plus 40 Jumeirah restaurants. On site it offers a huge range of water and land sports. The free kids’ club has various play areas for kids aged two to 12. Beit Al Bahar is an area of one-and two-bedroom villas with private terraces and 24-hour butler service.

Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Oman Lizzi says: “This is a world-class hotel for families set on a dramatic horseshoe bay near Muscat (great for sightseeing and souks) but with plenty to entertainment on-site.”

The family-focused Al Waha hotel has an Arabian oasis-style pool area, the Cool Zone Kids Club – with indoor and outdoor play areas for kids up to eight years – and the Adventure Zone with slides, a climbing wall, gaming equipment and soft play. Al Bandar Hotel is based on an Arabian town, with a souk and plethora of restaurants.

Between the two hotels is a lazy river and kids can also enjoy the Splashpad aquatic play area, mini golf and camel or pony rides.

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Ten luxury family resorts

Shamwari Private Game Reserve, South Africa Lizzi says: “This is the perfect place for a family safari. Not only is it Malaria-free but accommodation is geared to families and there’s a programme of activities for kids.”

Shamwari comprises seven lodges and one camp, as well as the Born Free Foundation Big Cat Rescue Centre, but families should stay at Riverdene. Children aged four and over can join the Kids on Safari Programme and learn about the importance of conservation.

There’s also a pool and the Adventure Centre, which has zip-lines, slides and climbing walls.

Indoor areas for little ones include a kids’ library.

Four Seasons Langkawi, Malaysia Lizzi says: “An upmarket resort with a jungle backdrop to its family-friendly villas and the chance for children to learn about animals and the eco system.”

Located in a UNESCO World Geopark, this resort lets kids go wild!

They can step aboard a floating classroom with the swamp skipper on a Monkeys and Mangroves tour, make their own kite and fly it on the beach or try rock climbing in the jungle.

Kids aged one to five eat free, there is a four-pools-in-one family area and the Lutong Kids Club entertains kids aged four to 12.

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THE UNEMPLOYED The UK’s unemployment rate is at its highest in nearly five years. If you’re feeling grateful to be in steady work, here are five ways you can help those that aren’t so lucky

SPRINGBOARD This charity relieves unemployment and poverty in communities by helping those of all ages, backgrounds and abilities – many with barriers to employment – gain the skills, knowledge, confidence and experience needed to forge a career in the hospitality sector and change their lives.

Hospitality has been one of the sectors hardest hit during the pandemic – as of December 2020, 41% of businesses had temporarily paused trading, compared to 13% across all industries. springboard.uk.net

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SMART WORKS This charity provides high-quality interview clothes and interview training for unemployed women in need. Smart Works believes in the power of clothes to give women the confidence to be their best at such a crucial moment in life but also offers practical one-to-one coaching to build the confidence needed to succeed at interview.

The charity operates across eight locations in the UK thanks to 150 trained volunteers and the generosity of individuals and retailers who donate clothes. smartworks.org.uk

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YOUTH EMPLOYMENT UK Official government figures released this February show that younger workers are bearing the brunt of job losses, with the under 25s hardest hit.

This social enterprise is tackling youth unemployment by giving young people a voice on the employment issues that affect them, providing 14 to 24 year olds with free resources, advice and guidance via its Skills and Careers Hub, supporting employers to develop youth-friendly employment practices and connecting young people to youth-friendly employers. youthemployment. org.uk

REMPLOY Remploy provides specialist employment and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions. The charity was founded by the British government in 1944 and provided direct employment for disabled people in a national network of factories. It now has a network of high street branches providing specialist employment support and works with thousands of businesses to help employers recognise the value of employing disabled people. remploy.co.uk

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Global good news

GLOBAL

Majorca celebrates sustainability tax The Balearic Islands Tourist Board is celebrating five years since the launch of a sustainable tourism tax. Since 2016, 270 million Euros have been raised and invested in 170 sustainable tourism initiatives in Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and

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SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

For good

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GENDER EQUALITY

Celebrating women leading the way in Botswana The Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana’s Chobe National Park is marking International Women’s Day (March 8) by celebrating Florence Kagiso, who leads Africa’s first all-female guide team at the lodge. Florence joined the all-male team in 2004 and worked hard to prove to her sceptical colleagues that she could do the ‘typically male jobs’, like changing tyres and driving through rough terrain. The management team soon recognised that Florence worked more efficiently than her male colleagues, taking better care of the vehicles and using less fuel, and they employed more and more women until the entire team was female.

Formentera. Projects include mapping the region’s seagrass (an important source of oxygen and biodiversity) in order to launch a new app which will tell boat operators where not to anchor; and turning an old animal shelter into an ecofriendly hiking hut in Majorca.

BIKEPARK WALES AIMS TO BE THE WORLD’S FIRST CARBON NEUTRAL MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK BY WORKING WITH MALAWI CHARITY TEMWA TO HELP COMMUNITIES FARM SUSTAINABLY 64

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TURTLE POWER

Good to know...

CHARITABLE EFFORTS

Milestone for TUI’s relief fund

Tour operator TUI’s Corona Relief Fund has now supported 40,000 people with aid packages in Mexico, Jamaica, Egypt, Morocco, Spain and the Cape Verde Islands. The fund, part of its charity TUI Care Foundation, was launched to help people in holiday destinations whose livelihoods depend on tourism and have been badly affected by global travel restrictions. TUI has worked with local charities on the ground and in the Egyptian resort of Hurghada a team of former TUI employees and

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR...

JAMAICA’S NEXT GENERATION OF HOSPITALITY WORKERS Jamaica Inn recently awarded five students J$1 million from the Teddy Tucker Scholarship Fund, in honour of the late Herbert Tucker who worked at the luxury Jamaican resort for 62 years. The funds will go to helping the families of employees at Jamaica Inn provide skills, training and education for their children

local volunteers helped to

who wish to pursue a career in the tourism

distribute food packages.

and hospitality industry. The award ceremony was held at the Ocho Rios resort, with Teddy’s

SURVEY RESULTS

Brits want to give back on holiday

son there to congratulate the winners.

As people in Texas battled with a severe cold snap this February, which caused catastrophic water and power losses, the weather also led to thousands of turtles being coldstunned. Locals stepped in and 4,000 weak and vulnerable turtles were taken to a convention centre on South Padre Island when the charity next door ran out of room.

Adventure-focused tour operator G Adventures surveyed more than 500 British travellers to see what their ‘retravel resolutions’ were and how they wanted to change their holiday habits as

SUSTAINABILITY

Utah committs to go green The Utah Office of Tourism has joined the Global Sustainable

travel restarted. The

Tourism Council (GSTC). It’s one

majority of Brits said that

of only four U.S. destinations to

the most important factor

take this step, which is a public

in their holiday choice was

commitment to sustainable

that their money benefits local people (72%) followed by ensuring wildlife is protected where they go (48%). Meanwhile, 45% wanted to avoid overtouristed places and 58% said they will visit less known areas to spread their tourist pound further.

.

tourism practices. The state’s tourism board already has a mission “to elevate life in Utah through responsible tourism stewardship,” and is home to five national parks plus several state parks and vast stretches of national forest and open lands.

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Global good news

WORLD EVENT

The UK will host the G7 Summit in Cornwall this June, as international leaders descend on Carbis Bay, St. Ives and other venues across the county. Visit Cornwall has estimated that the economic benefits generated by the event for the area will total £50 million.

GOOD FOOD

HOME-GROWN IN THE MALDIVES Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences’ two new concepts: Homemade@Amilla and Homegrown@Amilla, will celebrate the island’s natural bounty and the local people’s creativity. The concepts will deliver home-grown produce to guests, including more indigenous ingredients, reducing air miles and packaging.

The resort has fruit trees, a mushroom hut, coconut press and organic hydroponic farm and the organic produce will be turned into products like kiimchi, nut butter, vegan cheese, kombucha and beer made from waste pineapple skins.

LOSE THE

CROWD.

Yourself.

FIND

1

#

Island in the Caribbean 4 Years in a Row! TRAVEL+LEISURE

Anguilla is beyond extraordinary and now open for phase 2 travellers.

Discover our 33 beaches, offshore cays, private accommodations and miles of untouched paradise.

For more information visit: charitable.travel/anguilla

we can’t wait to welcome you back to a little

PARADISE

charitable.travel/cook-islands

DREAMING OF YOUR NEXT HOLIDAY? Book your UK staycation with Charitable Travel and donate 5% of your holiday cost to a charity of your choice.

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Whether you're raring to explore the best of what the UK has to offer, or just want to venture slightly further than your front door, staycations are the hot topic for the year ahead. Take a bite out of everything Britain can offer, with foodie city breaks, adventurous activity holidays, family beach escapes or simply book that long-awaited visit to see friends and family across the country. 2021, we're ready for you.

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