Wanderlust Sampler, Issue 231 (February/March 2024)

2024 List Readers and editors pick their dream destinations for the year ahead

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Going local in Fiji Tobago Japan homestays Arctic Canada Mandela’s Cape Town Caravaggio’s Malta West Sweden stays Brazil Rhode Island, USA

WANDERSLEEPS VERSION REPRO OP

A forest of one’s own In 2017, the 72-Hour Cabin project took five burnt-out workers and monitored their stress levels after three days in a glass cabin in remote West Sweden. The results were so positive that similar stays have opened to visitors across the region

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Climate-smart West Sweden Reviewed by Sarah Baxter

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Agnes Malt; Jonas Ingman

From remote glasshouse escapes to solar-powered island cabins, reduce your footprint and commune with nature at these serene Swedish eco-stays

Agnes Malt; Jonas Ingman

SWEDISH COUNTRY LIVING

The accommodation at this smallholding in lake-dotted Dalsland is green without sacrificing the gorgeous. There are three tiny houses here, each one handmade using salvaged antique doors and windows, and wood felled on site. All of them are off-grid – lighting is by candle; heat by blankets, fireplaces and wool insulation. Ablutions?

Plunge into the lake or book the waterfront wood-fired tub for a bit of rustic decadence. Alternatively, use your private bathroom, where

the showers are fed by lake water, which is then filtered via the orangery and run back into the lake. There’s also a permaculture garden, free-range chickens and holistically managed sheep, all ensuring low food miles. Owner David serves excellent dinners, including slow-cooked lamb, or you can simply make a pizza in the outdoor kitchen. It’s up to you. Cabins from around £408 per person for two nights, full-board; swedishcountryliving.com ⊲

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JOURNAL West Sweden

Mandela’s Cape Town Thirty years on from South Africa’s first free and democratic election, visitors to modern Cape Town can still explore the legacy of apartheid and walk in the footsteps of the man at the centre of its downfall Words Robin-Lee Francke

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Mandela’s South Africa

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Trace the life of Nelson Mandela through the places he knew…

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Nelson Mandela Museum, Mthatha Mandela was born in the Eastern Cape, where most people still know him by his clan name, Madiba. This museum collects memorabilia and photos from his political life; it also has a second site in Qunu (30km away), where Mandela spent his youth, which looks at his earlier years. nelsonmandelamuseum.org.za Liliesleaf Farm, Rivonia Head to the suburbs north of Jo’burg for tours of what was the secret HQ of the ANC (African National Congress) between 1961 and ’63. Mandela lived here under a pseudonym before his eventual capture.

Capture Site, Howick It was here in KwaZuluNatal province, on 5 August 1962, that Mandela was finally arrested after a long pursuit.

A sculpture installed on the site, made from 50 steel bars, marks the spot and reveals a touching portrait of his face when viewed at the right angle.

Drakenstein Prison, Western Cape Mandela’s final months of incarceration were spent in the warder’s cottage of this institution near Paarl, 60km from Cape Town. It was from here that he walked free. It’s still a working prison, so there are no tours, but the statue of Mandela outside is iconic.

City Hall, Cape Town The site of Mandela’s first speech upon his release from prison is marked by a statue on the balcony on which he stood.

Wander Grand Parade below and imagine the excitement of the crowd that gathered here.

Mandela House, Soweto Mandela first moved here in 1946, then returned briefly in 1990 following his release from prison. Thereafter it was preserved as a museum and has some great family photos. mandelahouse.com

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t’s a remarkable thing to leave colony as far back as the 17th century. Over behind the hotels, shops and galler- the years, it operated variously as a maximum ies of the V&A Waterfront and step security prison, a military base and even a into the gleaming Nelson Mandela leper colony.Today this national monument, Gateway. The redevelopment of museum and UNESCO World Heritage site Cape Town’s quayside, a working symbolises for many South Africans a brutal harbour that still runs alongside era of oppression under nationalist rule. what is now the city’s most prized real estate, I bagged a seat on the upper deck and began in 1988. The idea back then that any watched the waterfront shrink behind me, part of it would be then refocused my eyes on the island looming named after a man ahead, seeing it grow who was at that time “Robben Island larger and imagining living in a jail cell in symbolises for many the Tokai suburb of the the countless poor South Africans an era prisoners who must city was unthinkable.

This gateway is have done likewise as of brutal oppression they mentally sketched where ferries depart under nationalist rule” out their fate. for the former offshore prison of Robben The Cape’s southIsland. It was there that easter wind came out the late Nelson Mandela and countless politi- to play and the fresh ocean air bathed my cal prisoners spent decades of their lives while skin, filling my lungs. As the ferry aligned the South African government continued its alongside the jetty, what struck me was how policy of racial segregation, known as apart- ordinary the tall grey walls appeared. heid. Thirty years after the country became a A large sign still welcomes visitors to the democracy and Mandela was elected its first island, announcing the old prison-service president, the island seemed a fitting start for motto in English and Afrikaans: ‘We serve exploring how this history still shapes Cape with pride’. A tour guide loudly announced: Town and the experiences of locals and visitors. “From this point forth, history will unfold as Ferries leave here throughout the day, we get to know more about Nelson Mandela.” nearly always full. Queues snake beneath I couldn’t help but wonder how dented the the hot sun as people wait their turn to learn prison’s ‘pride’ would have been had the more about an island that was used as a penal authorities known back then that the main ⊲

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Legends of the ice Every spring, the sea ice in the fjords of Baffin Island begins to break up, creating a ‘line of life’ that attracts seals, polar bears and even the mythical narwhal Words & photographs Phoebe Smith

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Vital Arctic kit to bring

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Parka

Take a warm jacket with a hood that is both windproof and waterproof. When riding on a qamutik, the Arctic wind can permeate most materials.

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Muck boots

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Walking on the ice requires warm shoes with a good grip.

Winter hiking boots will work, but your feet can get very cold when sitting and waiting for wildlife. Muck boots are ideal because they are insulated and waterproof. You can either buy or hire these.

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here’s a legend told among the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic that all the animals in the sea are controlled by a mermaid-like goddess called Taluliyuk. The story goes that she was thrown off a canoe by her angry father and when she tried to cling onto the side, he cut off her fingers and they became the whales, walruses and seals that populate these icy waters. It’s said that if she is angered by humans not respecting the environment, she will entangle all the marine mammals in her long hair, helping them evade hunters and thereby stopping them from providing isolated communities with much-needed food, clothing and tools.

On a cold day in early summer, while floating in the waters of Baffin Bay wearing a black dry suit and lobster-shaped gloves, it occurred to me how easily I could be mistaken for a half-woman, half-fish sea creature. Thankfully, I still had all my fingers – though that might not be the case if I’d stayed in the -2°C water much longer. This wasn’t a pleasure swim; I was on the search for a creature as mythical as Taluliyuk herself: the narwhal.

The adventure had begun in Pond Inlet after a three-hour flight from Iqaluit, the regional capital of the Canadian Territory of Nunavut. Myself and a party of 12 were introduced to our expedition leader, Jaime Sharp, a New Zealander who had just come

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from guiding visitors on a polar bear safari in Churchill. He was accompanied by our Inuit team, led by an elder and artist called Billy Merkosak. On arrival, we were split into groups and boarded our qamutiks – makeshift wooden sleds pulled behind snowmobiles.

The sky appeared to become bluer as we creaked over the hardened icy ground. The mountains glistened in the distance, their snow-encased ridges dazzling in the sunlight.

After two hours, we reached our base camp at Eclipse Sound, a cluster of yellow tents (our bedrooms) and white marquees (the kitchen and dining hall). From here, the floe edge – the part of the fjord where the sea ice had begun to melt into narrow channels of water, bringing with it hungry wildlife – was a two-hour drive away, Jaime told us.

“We used to camp much nearer, but the effects of climate change mean we cannot anymore,” explained Billy later that afternoon, as we finally arrived at our narwhal-watching spot. “The season is shorter and the ice forms later and melts quicker, so we are always reading the ice.”

It was then that Billy told me the story of Taluliyuk. I couldn’t help but think that we humans had been doing a lot to anger the sea goddess recently. We headed back to camp without a sighting, though our spirits were soon lifted by the feast of freshly cooked caribou steaks (or a cauliflower equivalent for ⊲

Merino wool keeps you warmest and can be worn for days on end without becoming smelly (due to the microbial qualities of the wool). Wear on top and as a long john under your trousers for maximum warmth.

Gloves and hat

Go for two pairs of gloves: a thinner fleece-lined pair and a larger insulated and waterproof pair. Mittens will warm your hands fastest. Choose a hat that covers your ears as well as your head.

Binoculars

Spotting wildlife amid the swathes of white is tricky; good binoculars make it much easier and allow you to enjoy the spectacle.

Camera and tripod

While waiting for the wildlife to emerge, set up your camera on a sturdy tripod so that you’ll be ready when it arrives.

A sense of adventure

No two days are the same in the High Arctic, and conditions are always changing. It’s all part of the experience, so enjoy nature setting the itinerary.

TRAVELOGUES Rhode Island, USA

The summer capital of the Gilded Age As a slew of TV series tap into the society dramas of America’s elite during the late 19th century, we head to their former playground of Rhode Island, whose mansions and mills recall an era of social upheaval and impossible glamour Words & photographs George Kipouros

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“The Second Industrial Revolution gave birth to a nouveau riche oligarchic class in North America” railroad magnates, all impossibly hungry for social legitimacy and grandeur.

Rhode Island’s oceanside town of Newport would become the holiday playground for this newly minted elite, a dramatic showcase and stage for their extravagant lives and society dramas.

“This was once the world’s most sought-after resort area,” beamed Mark Brodeur, a walking Rhode Island encyclopaedia and state tourism official. “Anyone from across the USA who wanted to be seen in society needed to summer in Newport – even coming in from as far out as San Francisco.”

The summer ‘season’ here typically lasted for six weeks, I was told, shocked that they would build all this grandeur for barely two months a year.

“The real wonder is that many such spectacular mansions were built during a period

spanning just four decades,” countered Mark, “with The Breakers taking only two years to build from inception to delivery.”

It was hard to believe such an extravagant architectural feat was created in such a short time. Its interiors are chock-a-block with staggering artwork, furnishings and antiques.

“These are materialistic excesses brought in from around the world to signify status and superiority,” explained Karen. “It’s the ‘money is no object’ approach to getting things done,” she conceded.

The guided walk took us through a procession of rooms where the finest materials shone throughout: Carrera marble floors, Baccarat chandeliers, Tiffany lights, African alabaster tiles, Santo Domingo mahogany furniture. If there was ever any doubt that this ‘summer cottage’ – as the era’s palatial mansions were rather facetiously called – was a child of America’s Gilded Age, it was soon lost in a sea of finery.

I noticed that there were few visitors during my late-afternoon visit in June, yet Karen explained that The Breakers’ was very much in demand again thanks to the attention brought about by recent TV period dramas such as HBO’s The Gilded Age and The Buccaneers on Apple TV. ⊲

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icture 300 of America’s wealthiest citizens showing off their finest dresses, jewellery and dance moves right here,” smiled Karen Filippo, resident guide at The Breakers, as she waved me towards the palatial Great Hall. Stepping across the threshold, I was taken aback by the 15m-high ceiling with its impossibly realistic blue-sky fresco.

I also had a feeling of déjà vu – was I back in one of Genoa’s Palazzi dei Rolli?

I was in fact touring the USA’s smallest state, Rhode Island. We were in a Renaissance-revival historic mansion that was little over a century old and I was left pondering why anyone would make such a grandiose architectural statement in a small New England town.

“This was America’s Gilded Age showing off at its finest,” explained Karen as she began the tour with a narration of the peculiar era that incubated The Breakers.

The Gilded Age, a term originally coined

by Mark Twain for one of his lesser-known novels, refers to the economic boom that swept the USA roughly between 1877 and 1900. It was the period during which the Second Industrial Revolution reached North America, giving birth to a nouveau riche oligarchic class of banking, mining and

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Making an impression (clockwise from top left) The Elms’ theatrical entryway sets the tone for any visit; Newport isn’t a former yachting capital of the world for nothing, and countless historic boats can found in its harbour; Rosecliff was built for Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs; wandering the colonial buildings of Newport’s historic centre; a visit to the kitchens of The Elms on the ‘Servant Life Tour’; William Vanderbilt gifted Marble House to his wife, Alva, on her 39th birthday, little thinking that she’d divorce him several years later on grounds of adultery, scandalising the society of the day; admiring the Newport coastline

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Living with nature

Visitors to Fiji’s traditional communities will not only see the ancient iTaukei philosophy of working with the natural world in action, but can help preserve a way of life in danger of being eroded Words Mark Stratton

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Pacific horizon, replaced by the heartbeat of a thousand hidden frogs.

While every exotic preconception I’d had about Fiji’s islands could be found here, I was more excited by the idea that traditional iTaukei life offers visitors a way of seeing these islands more sustainably. Lara had offered one example but I wanted to experience more, so it was among Fiji’s mountain villages, where the old ways thrive in self-sufficient communities, that this story truly begins.

“Living with nature has been the essence of Fiji’s iTaukei culture for more than 3,500 years” My immersion in iTaukei life began within hours of touching down in Nadi on Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu. My salusalu garland, woven with hibiscus bark and placed on me as a greeting, still dangled around my neck as I started learning about two joys of traditional island life: hot-stone cooking (lovo) and kava, a drink celebrated across the Pacific and ground from the roots of Piper methysticum, which translates as ‘intoxicating pepper’.

Sam Soko and his Chinese-Australian partner, Anna Chan, created Vavavi (meaning ‘to bake’) after the pandemic cost Sam his boat-charter business.Their hands-on classes teach how to prepare a lovo, and we were soon placing large stones on a wood-fired pit. I was instructed in preparing the food: peeling cassava and halving coconuts with a machete – a useful skill if ever shipwrecked on a desert island. I made palusami, a dish of taro leaves wrapped around vegetables and fish soaked in coconut cream.This was placed inside woven leaves on the hot stones and covered in soil.

“Lovo are popular at ceremonies like weddings, but if you invite 20 people in Fiji, seventy will turn up, as extended families are huge,” laughed Anna.We unearthed the lovo after 90 minutes, barbecued to perfection.

The quantity was so abundant that I would’ve welcomed an extended family to help me out.

After dinner, it was kava time. In truth, it always is in Fiji. “It’s a formal way to welcome someone,” explained Sam. “It is also an act of respect (sevusevu) to present a village’s headman with dried kava roots if you are visiting.”

Using a muslin cloth, Sam strained the grated roots that he’d submerged in water, filling a wooden tanoa basin with the brown liquid Fijians call ‘grog’. We drank it from coconut shells. Etiquette dictates clapping three times, shouting ‘Bula’ and then downing it in one go.The drink is a mild sedative ⊲

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ike many tales of the South Pacific, my talanoa – or ‘storytelling’ – begins on the water, en route from Vanua Levu to one of the 330-plus islands that sustain the iTaukei, the Traditional Owners of Fiji. Leone Vokai, dreadlocks splayed in the breeze, was piloting our wooden boat to a resort on the tiny island of Nukubati. The staff of its six beachside bures (cabins) joined Leone’s wife, Lara Bourke, on the shoreline to sing a melodic welcome. “Bula,” they shouted as one. It is a greeting (meaning hello or good health) that I would hear throughout my time in Fiji.

As I waded ashore, the sand felt soft beneath my feet. In the wooden pavilion, a barbecued tatavu feast was laid out before us.

We sat on the matted floor and ate taro leaves with roasted yams, as well as fish caught on the line from beyond the lagoon.The lime-leaf tea had even been picked from the garden.

“We harvest 98% of what we eat from our wild gardens,” said Lara, who explained that living with nature has been the essence of Fiji’s iTaukei culture for more than 3,500 years.

I settled into my bure surrounded by views of the ocean. Within an hour I was barefoot. Within two hours I’d swum amid bright offshore corals. By late afternoon the sun was finally extinguished across the

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Bula! (clockwise from far left) Visitors to Nukubati Resort receive a warm beach-side welcome; kayakers splash through Beqa Lagoon, a stretch of water known for its daring shark dives; kava and songs on Nukubati Island; the barbecued fish and locally picked veg served on Nukubati comes fresh from the seas, forests and gardens of the island, making it thoroughly sustainable; the inhabitants of Fiji’s Lau Islands are well known for their traditional woodcarvings; coconut milk and flesh is used throughout Fijian cuisine; (previous spread) Fiji is more than just its pristine sands – there is also 3,500 years of iTaukei culture to explore here

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TRAVELOGUES Fiji

In the brush strokes of

Caravaggio Knights, murder, a prison break… As London’s National Gallery prepares to exhibit Caravaggio’s final work, we head to Malta to unravel the story of the crucial late period in the artist’s wild life Words Juliet Rix

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Phoenicians. Anyone trading or invading in the Mediterranean has at some point coveted this safe haven, and down the years it has caught the eyes of Romans, Arabs, medieval Europeans, Catholic knights, Muslim Turks, Napoleon and the British, to name a few.

When Caravaggio sailed in, it had only been a handful of decades since the harbour had been thick with the blood and cannon smoke of the Great Siege of 1565, in which

“Valletta, an elegant but austere citadel city, was said to be ‘built by gentlemen for gentlemen’” the outnumbered Knights nearly lost Malta to the Ottoman Turks. The Order of St John’s response was to construct a brandnew impregnable peninsula capital,Valletta, an elegant but austere citadel city that was ‘built by gentlemen for gentlemen’.

Caravaggio, however, was not a gentleman – not by birth or behaviour. In fact, when he arrived here in July 1607, he was on the run after killing a man in a brawl in Rome. But

Caravaggio had powerful friends, awed by his art and willing to overlook his dissolute lifestyle, and the Knights’ Grand Master was in search of a top-quality painter to work for the Order in Malta. So Caravaggio boarded one of the galleys bound for Valletta.

A FRESH START

I chose to tour the Grand Harbour by dgħajsa water taxi, a colourful, traditional boat rowed standing up, though nowadays assisted by an outboard motor. Like Caravaggio, I passed star-shaped Fort St Elmo, guardian of the harbour mouth on the Valletta side, and on the opposite bank I spied Fort St Angelo, the Knights’ first base in Malta and a key player in Caravaggio’s story. Soon enough, we landed at what is now Customs House Wharf, an area that was known in the 1600s simply as The Marina.

Having disembarked, I was told by Keith Sciberras, professor of art history at the University of Malta and a world expert on Caravaggio’s time here, that the artist would have walked steeply uphill through Salvatore Gate (since renamed Victoria Gate). From there he would have slipped into the narrow streets of Valletta, some of which are still little more than stone stairways. I cheated by taking the Barrakka Lift – not out of laziness (it isn’t far), but to enjoy the glass-sided 58m ride up the exterior of Valletta’s towering ⊲

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ichelangelo Merisi d a C a r a va g g i o (1571–1610 AD), one of the most influential painters in the history of Western art, signed only a single painting. He hid his name in a splash of blood in a work that hangs in the oratory of St John’s Co-Cathedral, in the heart of Malta’s UNESCO-listed capital, Valletta.

The vast Beheading of St John the Baptist – a striking, violent, revolutionary painting – still dominates the room for which it was created, which now receives nearly half a million visitors a year. It is at the centre of the story of Caravaggio’s time on this island, which was a “pivotal” period in his life and work, explained Francesca Whitlum-Cooper, curator at London’s National Gallery, whose upcoming exhibition on the artist begins in April.This is a tale of murder, religion, knights, prison escapes and art theft, all played out across Malta’s most important historic buildings.

I started my quest for Caravaggio where he began his time in Malta, on the sparkling waters of the Grand Harbour, still flanked as they were then by the honeyed limestone fortifications of the Knights of the Order of St John Hospitaller. This harbour has been at the heart of Maltese history since the

The other emerald isle While much of the Caribbean has been lost to development, tiny Tobago remains stubbornly resistant to change, thanks to a history of rainforest conservation dating back to the 18th century Words Lyn Hughes

TRAVELOGUES Tobago

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soon becomes apparent that locals don’t see things in these terms.

“We were never part of Trinidad or Venezuela. It was the British who put us together with Trinidad,” I was later told by Desmond Wright, the in-house guide at Cuffie River Nature Retreat. “Tobago was always by itself and different.” And that’s not just island pride talking; there is history to back it up.

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A century before John Muir dreamed up the idea of a government-sponsored national parks system, the world’s first legally protected forest reserve, Main Ridge, had already been set up in Tobago. It’s a strange quirk of fate that one of the earliest examples of conservationism is to be found on this tiny island, more so that it came out of a history steeped in the brutal sugar plantations of colonialism. Yet this green spirit continues today, with Tobago now also

home to a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, cementing its place as an unsung pioneer among the Caribbean islands. It was something that I was curious to see for myself.

AN UNUSUAL HISTORY

“This is rainforest and it needs to be respected,” I was told by William Trim, former director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and now a renowned birding guide. “The community of Tobago are more aware of the importance of the rainforest compared with Trinidad and other Caribbean islands, so there is no major logging of trees here and no quarrying.”

But the origins of Tobago’s forest reserve struggle to live up to the noble sentiments of the present. Historically, the combination of the island’s fertile soil, rainfall and its geographical location made it one of the most fought over pieces of land in the Caribbean. It changed hands over 30 times between the British, French and Dutch from the early 17th century on, before being finally ceded to Britain in 1814. It only gained its independence in 1962.

The European lust for sugar saw plantations spread across the island. At the Tobago Museum I gazed at a map covering the period between 1807 and 1815. During this period there were 86 estates (plantations) here and a population of 16,613 enslaved Africans. ⊲

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hick gunmetal-grey clouds coated the sky, a smudge of a rainbow fighting to be visible. I had a last sweep of the ocean through my binoculars, hoping to spot dolphins among the whitecaps – I had been told they passed by Castara Bay most mornings. A pair of parrots squawked overhead and a flash of blue in my peripheral vision made me turn to see a motmot land on the end of my verandah.

I looked back down the bay and spotted a young guy, presumably a tourist, strolling the golden beach, shoes in hand, happily oblivious to the falling rain. It seemed to sum up everything I was feeling about Tobago.

I can tell how much I like a place by how I feel about it in the pouring rain, and Tobago has charm to spare. It also has substance.

When the resort chain Sandals tried to open its biggest ever complex here in 2019, such was the local consternation about its effect on an island barely half the size of the Isle of Man that it stood little chance.The islanders sent them packing.Tobago may have a handful of resorts over on its flat south-west side, but they tend to be small, low-key affairs.

The overall message was clear: this place isn’t for the masses.

Despite being the ‘second’ island in the dual nation of Trinidad and Tobago, it

2024 List Our editors choose the hot spots and rising cultural stars of the travel world for the year ahead, as we pick 24 for 2024!

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Arizona, USA

Why go? Hit the cities for local history, dark skies and birthdays

Why go? Discover how the earliest animal life evolved

Imagine being able to travel back in time over half a billion years, to a moment when animal life was first emerging. In South Australia’s IkaraFlinders Ranges, you can do just that – well, kind of – by walking among relics of the Precambrian era on Fossil Field Tours exploring little-seen parts of Nilpena Ediacara, the country’s newest national park. Roaming its amazing fossil beds, scouring the red earth and rocks for clues, provides the opportunity to discover how animal life evolved in a spot bidding for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Elsewhere, you can mountain bike the 39km Remarkable Epic Trail across Mount Remarkable National Park, join tours with Indigenous Adnyamathanha guides at Wilpena Pound and drift off beneath a canopy of stars on a new ridge-top sleepout in Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. All proof that even the oldest parts of the world can learn new tricks.

Back on the prowl (clockwise from right) Conservation of Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands is boosted by income from wildlife watching, with jaguar ecotourism estimated to bring in nearly $7 million each year; tours of the fossils preserved in the ancient sea floor at Australia’s Nilpena Ediacara National Park reveal the remains of early animal life; Tucson’s Barrio Viejo is packed with buildings that evoke its past, including Teatro Carmen, built in 1915 and soon to reopen afresh

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Arizona may be known as the Grand Canyon State but in 2024 all eyes are on its cities – notably Tucson’s Barrio Viejo (Old District), slated for recognition as a National Historic Landmark.

Its galleries, brewpubs and cantinas are big draws, but the real jewels are the 19th-century adobe buildings that have housed families and businesses down the generations.Today, the story of Tucson is told through places such as the Teatro Carmen, which once hosted a cinema, meeting hall, boxing ring and ballroom, and is currently being renovated. In Flagstaff to the north, a new Astronomy Discovery Center opening at the Lowell Observatory will launch visitors across the cosmos from this International Dark Sky City.

And state capital Phoenix celebrates a slew of anniversaries in 2024, with events planned at the Desert Botanical Garden (85th), Heard Museum of Native American art (95th) and Phoenix Art Museum (65th).

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Australia

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Brazil

Why go? Because good news travels fast – and we can’t wait to visit again Brazil has been the focus of some rare positive conservation stories in recent months. Slashing deforestation rates by more than a third in the first half of 2023 was a big win, but equally encouraging is the growing number of ways visitors can engage with cultures that call the Amazon region home. Increasingly, operators are offering meaningful encounters with Brazil’s Indigenous peoples, from boating the tea-coloured Río Negro with a Munduruku guide to homestays in the jungle-set villages around Manaus, channelling tourism funds to local communities. Just as important has been efforts to put the wild back in the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland. Tours with conservationists not only offer chances to spy jaguars in their natural habitat, but also to hear the remarkable story of how the cats returned. ⊲

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READER TRAVEL AWARDS

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Readers’ most desirable destinations 2024

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More than 91,000 of you voted for the places that most inspire your future travels.

These are your dream destinations…

MOST DESIRABLE COUNTRY (REST OF THE WORLD)

Australia

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup, WorldPride and the inaugural SXSW Sydney all thrilling Australia last year, it’s hardly surprising that you’re gazing longingly Down Under. The island continent is having a moment, culturally speaking: the revamped West Bay Power Station turbine hall will provide a spectacular new arts venue for the 2024 Biennale of Sydney, while Brisbane’s riverfront is being reimagined as the city gears up to host the 2032 Olympics.

More significant, though, has been the increased focus on helping visitors learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Nearly 20,000 sq km of land was returned to Aboriginal peoples in Queensland, Western Australia and Northern Territory in 2022. And the launch of the new Discover Aboriginal Experiences website collects together more than 160 tours led by Indigenous guides, enabling more travellers to experience truly authentic Australia.

We’ve been similarly enthused by positive news surrounding the conservation of the Great Barrier Reef. Tourism providers are helping scientists monitor coral health, allowing travellers to play our part in saving the world’s largest coral reef system.

In silver place, Japan is a perennial favourite among Wanderlust readers.

Having reopened to all travellers only in late 2022, we can see why you’re so eager to return. And we’re clearly not alone in our love of the USA, in bronze. It’s not just the vast national parks that enthral, showcasing spectacular natural wonders, but also its vibrant history, museums and galleries to rival any in Europe.

Alamy; AWL

Your top ten favourites Gold

Australia

Silver

Japan

Bronze

USA

4th

Canada

5th

Costa Rica

6th

South Korea

7

South Africa

th

8th

Brazil

9th

New Zealand

10th

Chile

MOST DESIRABLE COUNTRY (EUROPE)

Croatia

It’s a shore thing (left) Over 10 million years of coastal erosion created Victoria’s Twelve Apostles, among the most dramatic natural marvels along Australia’s Great Ocean Road; (above) Trogir’s medieval island heart is a reminder that there’s plenty more to discover along Croatia’s Adriatic Coast beyond Dubrovnik

Having seen Dubrovnik voted top city in last year’s awards, it was only a matter of time before its country followed suit. Increasingly, travellers are looking beyond that storied citadel, where more than a million visitors throng its marble streets each year.

A new road, via the quiet Pelješac Peninsula, now circumvents the strip of coastal Bosnia & Herzegovina that divides Dubrovnik from the rest of Croatia, making for a spectacular drive along the Dalmatian Coast.

There is also growing awareness of Croatian Istria, which is now drawing more visitors north-west to the Byzantine walls of Poreč, end point of the Parenzana Trail. Converted from an old narrow-gauge railway line, this route offers a great way to explore the peninsula away from busy ports such as Rovinj.

Indeed, there are many escapes to be found in Croatia – as you well know, having voted Hvar fourth in this year’s Most Desirable European Islands category. Isles such as Korčula, with its UNESCO-listed town, offer far

more than pretty shorelines, providing a glimpse into the region’s medieval history, while the likes of capital Zagreb and nearby Plitvice National Park are evergreen draws.

Spain, in silver spot, has benefited from the expansion of its high-speed rail network that makes exploring its hinterlands more enticing; a highspeed Madrid–Paris route could open in 2024, too. Meanwhile, it’s no surprise that Italy takes bronze, with Matera, Puglia and Sicily stealing the limelight in TV and films last year. ⊲

Your top ten favourites Gold

Croatia

Silver

Spain

Bronze

Italy

4th

Greece

5th

France

6th

Germany

7

th

Slovenia

8th

Iceland

9th

Scotland

10th

Austria

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