National Geographic Traveller UK 09.2022_downmagaz.net_compressed

I TH E U K’ S #1 TR AV E L M AGA ZI N E UK EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022 • £5.10 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/TR AVEL Italy From Liguria to Lazio, discover the country’s most unforgettable coastal escapes WIN! + A LUXURY VILLA ANTWERP STAY IN CORFU MARRAKECH SINGAPORE BRAZIL LOOKING FOR JAGUARS IN THE WILD, WET PANTANAL BOTSWANA ON SAFARI WITH SCIENTISTS IN THE OKAVANGO DELTA ALSO: BODØ • BRECON BEACONS • GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS • GERMANY • MANCHESTER • MEMPHIS

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CONTENTS ISSUE 105, SEPTEMBER 2022 66 116 ITA LY WA L E S From Salento to Sardinia, discover Meet the enterprising locals cuisine, tradition and natural drama inspired by the lush green on the country’s storied coast landscapes of the Black Mountains 88 130 B O T S WA N A SINGAPORE Eschew the classic safari for a hands- Raise a glass to the Garden City’s on voluntourism experience charting blossoming cocktail scene, putting wildlife in the Okavango Delta local flavours front and centre 100 140 BRAZIL ANTWERP Elusive jaguars are the stars of the Historical, industrial and futuristic show on a conservation trip through landmarks collide with grand effect the wild wetlands of the Pantanal in Belgium’s second city IMAGE: GETTY 66 ITALY SEPTEMBER 2022 5

CONTENTS Smart traveller 15 | SNAPSHOT California’s 30 | INSIDE GUIDE Discover Bodø, 52 centenarian park ranger the gateway to Northern Norway 16 | BIG PICTURE Natural drama and 33 | STAY AT HOME A trip through brilliant blues in Guatemala history in St Albans 19 | POWER TRIP An electric new 35 | BOOKS A look back at the life of development in London travel writer Dervla Murphy 21 | CALL IT A NIGHT New stays in 36 | KIT LIST Ocean-friendly Manhattan’s NoMad district essentials for your next diving trip 23 | FOOD A taste of Sri Lanka with 39 | COMPETITION Win a three- chef Cynthia Shanmugalingam night getaway to Corfu 25 | ON THE TRAIL Design and 41 | NOTES FROM AN AUTHOR architecture around Valencia Sylvie Bigar on southwest France 27 | WHERE TO STAY Manchester’s 42 | MEET THE ADVENTURER creative new openings Conservationist Sacha Dench 28 | FAMILY Our pick of the best 44 | ONLINE Highlights from free experiences around the UK nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel 21 46 58 IMAGES: MONICA GUMM; JUSTIN BURKS; GETTY; BERBER LODGE On the cover Insider Travel talk Get involved Manarola, Cinque Terre, 46 | WEEKENDER: SYLT Coastal 150 | ASK THE EXPERTS Your travel 155 | SUBSCRIPTIONS Make the Liguria, Italy walks and fine dining on the largest questions answered most of our latest offer Image: Getty of Germany’s North Frisian Islands 152 | THE INFO A look at the UK’s 165 | EVENTS Make a note of these 52 | EAT: MEMPHIS The plant- urban centres, as the country dates for your diary based restaurants reimagining welcomes eight new cities 169 | INBOX Your letters, emails Tennessee’s Southern flavours 153 | HOT TOPIC Why has hiring a and tweets 58 | SLEEP: MARRAKECH From car become so expensive? 170 | HOW I GOT THE SHOT renovated merchant houses to 158 | GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS The Photographer Karolina Wiercigroch Moorish-style palaces, the city’s latest initiative safeguarding the on capturing the soul of Colombia’s hotels reflect its grit and grandeur islands’ rich marine biodiversity coffee region I NATIONAL GEOGR APHIC TR AVELLER I S THE UK’S #1 TR AVEL M AGA ZINE BY SUB SC RIPTION S 6 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

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CONTRIBUTORS Editorial Director: Maria Pieri Production Manager: Daniel Gregory Editor: Pat Riddell Production Controller: Jacqui Agate Deputy Editor: Amelia Duggan Joe Mendonca Commissioning Editor: Commercial Director: Memphis is almost synonymous with Connor McGovern Matthew Midworth barbecue and chicken wings, but a fresh crop Senior Editor: Sarah Barrell Head of Sales: Phil Castle of plant-based restaurants is energising the Assistant Editor: Angela Locatelli Head of Campaigns: William Allen city’s food scene, from ‘veganised’ versions of Executive Editor: Glen Mutel Campaigns Team: Jamie Barnish, meaty classics to posh fine dining menus that Associate Editor: Nicola Trup James Bendien, Jonathan Carrillo put vegetables at the fore. M E M P H I S P. 5 2 Digital Editor: Josephine Price Saez, Bob Jalaf, Kevin Killen, Deputy Digital Editor: Nora Wallaya Gabriela Milkova, Mark Salmon, Joe Sills Oscar Williams Art Director: Becky Redman Head of National Geographic In Botswana, our conservation group was Art Editors: Lauren Atkinson-Smith Traveller — The Collection: suddenly overtaken by a thunderstorm. As (maternity leave), Lauren Gamp Danny Pegg the rains poured down, we cursed Toto and Senior Designers: Kelly McKenna, sang their song. We truly felt like a team, Dean Reynolds Chief Executive: Anthony Leyens brought together by our shared work and Designer: Rosie Klein Managing Director: long days spent in the bush. B OT S WA N A P. 8 8 Picture Editor: Olly Puglisi Matthew Jackson Sales Director: Alex Vignali Sarah Marshall Content Editor: Head of Commercial Strategy: Charlotte Wigram-Evans Chris Debbinney-Wright On each of the four occasions I’ve visited the Project Editors: Jo Fletcher-Cross, APL Business Development Team: Pantanal, I’ve been struck by the sense of lost Zane Henry, Megan Hughes, Adam Fox, Cynthia Lawrence world wilderness that still exists — largely Farida Zeynalova Office Manager: Hayley Rabin thanks to the efforts of conservationists. It Project Assistant: Sacha Scoging Head of Finance: Ryan McShaw truly is one of the South American continent’s Editorial Admin Assistant: Credit Manager: Craig Chappell great natural wonders. B R A ZI L P.1 0 0 Tabitha Grainge Accounts Manager: Siobhan Grover Head of Sub Editors: Accounts Assistants: Delle Chan Hannah Doherty (maternity leave) Ramona McShaw Acting Head of Sub Editors: When I was growing up in Singapore, I was Olivia McLearon always spoilt for choice when it came to Sub Editors: Chris Horton, food — the city is renowned for its fabulous Nick Mee, Ben Murray culinary offerings. However, I never knew its craft cocktail scene was so diverse and Operations Manager: exciting. I do now. S I N GA P O R E P.1 3 0 Seamus McDermott Digital Marketing Manager: Daniel Stables Prabbie Kaur Head of Events: Sabera Sattar Antwerp is modest about its historical Marketing Manager — Events: grandeur. The train station is housed in Angelique Mannan masterful art nouveau architecture, and it’s not enough to gaze at the work of world- National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Limited, famous painters in galleries — you can poke Unit 310, Highgate Studios, 53-79 Highgate Road, London NW5 1TL around their house, too. A N T W E R P P.1 4 0 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel Editorial T: 020 7253 9906. [email protected] 8 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL Photography T: 020 7253 9906. [email protected] Sales/Admin T: 020 7253 9909. F: 020 7253 9907. [email protected] Subscriptions T: 01858 438787. [email protected] National Geographic Traveller (UK) is published by APL Media Ltd under license from National Geographic Partners, LLC. For more information contact natgeo.com/info. Their entire contents are protected by copyright 2022 and all rights are reserved. Reproduction without prior permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of the magazine, but the publishers assume no responsibility in the effect arising therefrom. Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information which is contained in the magazine. Neither APL Media Ltd or National Geographic Traveller magazine accept any liability for views expressed, pictures used or claims made by advertisers. National Geographic Partners International Publishing Senior Vice President: Yulia P. Boyle Editor-in-Chief, NG Media: Senior Director: Ariel Deiaco-Lohr Nathan Lump Senior Manager: Rossana Stella General Manager, NG Media: Headquarters David Miller 1145 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036-4688, USA International Editions National Geographic Partners returns 27% of its proceeds to the Editorial Director: nonprofit National Geographic Amy Kolczak Society to fund work in the areas of Deputy Editorial Director: science, exploration, conservation Darren Smith and education. Editor: Leigh Mitnick Translation Manager: Beata Nas Editors: CHINA Sophie Huang; GERMANY Werner Siefer; GREECE Kyriakos Emmanouilidis; INDIA Lakshmi Sankaran; ITALY Marco Cattaneo; LATIN AMERICA Roberto Moran; NETHERLANDS Robbert Vermue; POLAND Agnieszka Franus; RUSSIA Ivan Vasin; SOUTH KOREA Bo-yeon Lim; SPAIN Josan Ruiz; TURKEY Zeynep Sipahi Copyright © 2022 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All Rights Reserved. National Geographic Traveller and the Yellow Border Design are registered trademarks of National Geographic Society and used under license. Printed in the UK.



Editor’s letter DON’T MISS ISSUE 105, SEPTEMBER 2022 There are few spots in the Mediterranean quite as dazzling as Sardinia. Italy’s Reader Awards 2022 second-largest island offers over 1,000 miles of spectacular shoreline where it’s hard to believe just how turquoise the sea is, how soft the sand is and how From the best travel books to the tour dramatically serpentine the coast is. operators pulling out all the stops, tell us who you think deserves to take the top spot And while Sardinia may be one of the Mediterranean’s best-known beach for a chance to win an incredible prize. Don’t destinations, Italy isn’t really a nation celebrated for its coast. And more’s the delay — voting closes on 31 August. P.1 2 pity, as there’s so much of it, unfurling in such a wild, thrilling and varied way. In addition to the country’s 400-plus islands, the mainland itself has almost 5,000 Travel restrictions miles of coast to explore — with beaches, in many cases, rarely the main draw. The ongoing pandemic continues to So, in our cover story this issue (p.66), our focus on the Italian coastline includes affect travel. Please note, prices and an inside guide to Rimini, from its beach parties to its perfectly preserved travel advice are subject to change. Renaissance architecture, and a pilgrimage to the tiny isle of Pantellaria. We Contact your travel provider for the also indulge in the legendary fish soup served up in the port town of Fano and most up-to-date information. For the marvel at the ancient trabocchi fishing culture of Abruzzo’s south coast. latest news on safe travel and border restrictions, visit gov.uk/fcdo Throw in some of the world’s most spectacular coastal road trips and the eternal allure of the Amalfi Coast as well as our pick of Italy’s 10 best beaches, S U B SC RIB E TODAY and we hope you’ll be inspired to plan a trip that takes a fresh look at Italy’s unique coastal cultures. Pat Riddell, editor NATGEOTR AVELUK AWARD -WINNING NATIONAL GEOGR APHIC TR AVELLER Get three issues for just £5! subscriptions.natgeotraveller.co.uk Best US Travel Destination Article — 2022 IPW Travel Writer Awards • Travel Content Award (Gold): VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022 • AITO Young Travel Writer of the Year 2021 • LATA Media Awards or call 01858 438787 2020: Online Consumer Feature of the Year Award • Travel Media Awards 2020: Consumer Writer of the Year and quote ‘NGT5’ • British Travel Awards 2019: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine • BGTW Awards 2019: Best Travel Writer • Travel Media Awards 2019: Young Writer of the Year • Travel Media Awards 2019: Specialist Travel Writer of the Year • AITO Travel Writer of the Year 2019 • AITO Young Travel Writer of the Year 2019 • BGTW Awards 2018: Best Travel Writer • Travel Media Awards 2018: Consumer Writer of the Year • BSME Talent Awards 2018: Best Designer • British Travel Awards 2017: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine • BGTW Awards 2017: Best Travel Writer • BGTW Awards 2016: Best Travel Writer • British Travel Awards 2015: Best Consumer Holiday Magazine G O O N LI N E VI S IT N ATI O N A LG E O G R A PH I C .C O.U K / TR AV E L FO R N E W TR AVEL FE AT U RE S DAI LY IMAGE: GETTY 10 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

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READER AWARDS 2022 IN ASSOCIATION WITH XXXXXXX | Which destinations have you been daydreaming about? Is there a book, TV show or podcast that’s had you itching to travel? Has a tour operator impressed you with its customer service? Our awards seek to reward the very best in the travel business, so tell us who’s got your vote and you could win one of 24 incredible prizes. Head online to have your say, but don’t delay, as voting closes on 31 August. Vote today at nationalgeographic.co.uk/reader-awards 12 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

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SM ART TR AVELLER WHAT ’ S N E W • FO O D • O N TH E TR AI L • WH ERE TO S TAY • FA MI LY • I N S I D E G U I D E • S TAY AT H OME • B O O K S SNAPSHOT Betty Reid Soskin, California, USA Until her recent retirement at the age of 100, Betty was the oldest living park ranger in the US National Park Service. She gave bi-weekly lectures at the Rosie the Riveter National Historic Park in Richmond, California, telling the story of the Bay Area’s pioneering role in desegregation. After one of her lectures, Betty agreed to be photographed. At first, she wanted to keep her trademark sunglasses on, then she relented and proceeded to look straight into the lens for the entire shoot. Afterwards, I watched her climb a flight of stairs faster than I could, which really gave me pause. FREDERIC ARANDA • PHOTOGRAPHER fredericaranda.com @fredericaranda One of the Single Image winners of Portrait of Humanity™ 2022/1854 Media. 1854.photography SEPTEMBER 2022 15

SM ART TR AVELLER BIG PICTURE Semuc Champey, Guatemala Concealed within lush tropical jungle about seven hours’ drive north of Guatemala City, Semuc Champey is one of the great natural wonders of Guatemala. Here, the churning waters of the River Cabahón plunge under a 980ft-long natural limestone bridge, which is topped with vivid turquoise pools. The name Semuc Champey comes from the Q’eqchi’ Maya language and means ‘where the river hides under the Earth’. Carrying my camera gear uphill to this viewpoint for 45 minutes through thick, humid jungle made for a sweaty hike, but it was worth it for the sightings of howler monkeys and a toucan en route — and for this bird’s-eye view of the landscape. Afterwards, I headed down to reward my efforts with a refreshing dip in the clear water. BELLA FALK • PHOTOGRAPHER passportandpixels.com @passportandpixels 16 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL



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SM ART TR AVELLER TIRED OF WHAT TO DO IN THE TUBE? B AT T E R S E A Hop on a River Bus — services run all the SEE way to Greenwich, via Check out the Battersea Arts Centre, Westminster and the housed within the Victorian former Tower of London. town hall. Its programme runs the full cultural gamut, from contemporary tfl.gov.uk dance to Proms concerts, with many events priced as ‘pay what you can’. LONDON Try and catch a performance in the vast, atmospheric Grand Hall. Power trip bac.org.uk THE REDE VELOPMENT OF BAT TERSE A POWER DO STATION I S IN ITS FINAL PHA SES. HERE’S THE With a boating lake, children’s zoo, Go LOWD OWN O N TH E C APITAL’ S N E WE S T ARE A Ape and various manicured gardens, Battersea Park’s a day out in its own IMAGE: BRENDAN BELL Nearly 10 years after development began, the where exposed brick and metal framework right. Stick around until the evening transformation of Battersea Power Station is stand as a reminder of the site’s past. Visitors for a sourdough pizza and live music entering its final phases. Turning the Grade can get a bird’s-eye view of it all with the at the park’s Pear Tree Cafe. II*-listed icon into a vibrant neighbourhood Chimney Lift Experience, offering panoramic beside the Thames has been a long and views from the top of the building’s northwest E AT expensive ride — costing £9bn, in fact — and chimney. A high street’s in the works, too: Set amidst the glassy new high-rise there’s even been two, shiny new Tube stations Electric Boulevard is the area’s buzzy new of Nine Elms, Oxeye is the delicious (at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station) to promenade, flanked with dining spots, as well brainchild of MasterChef: The link the area up to central London. Big-name as playgrounds and ribbons of green space. Professionals finalist Sven-Hanson architects, such as Frank Gehry and Norman Britt. The ever-changing tasting menu Foster, were also tasked with designing After all, going green seems inevitable for a takes its cue from the restaurant’s swathes of the development. former power plant — in a nod to its past life, partner farm in Derbyshire, with dishes the building will house its own sustainable that might include chargrilled swede Much of the area’s already open, with power station, set beneath the riverside consommé or Portland sheep with riverside bistros and slick wine bars set park. There have also been careful efforts turnip. oxeyerestaurant.co.uk beneath the railway arches, but the crowning to preserve and boost the site’s biodiversity, glory is the next phase, and the opening of the including resident pairs of peregrine falcons DRINK Power Station itself this autumn. It’s poised and black redstarts. The creation of ‘brown Head to the Four Thieves — a rambling to be a new destination for food-lovers, with roofs’, insect-friendly gardens planted on pub-cum-games room just a short a 20,000sq ft food hall, as well as a hundred rooftops, is designed to boost local birdlife. stroll from Clapham Junction station. shops, cafes and restaurants, all housed within batterseapowerstation.co.uk Take your pick of the craft beers in the soaring Turbine Halls and Boiler House, before trying your hand at some of the CONNOR MCGOVERN retro-themed games on offer, from dance mats and gopher racing golf to table hockey and even virtual reality gaming. fourthieves.pub S TAY Design gurus, take note — the UK’s first art’otel is opening on Battersea Power Station’s Electric Boulevard this autumn, bringing the hotel group’s bold colour palettes and quirky decor to the capital. The 164-room property will also be home to an art gallery, four restaurants and bars, and a rooftop pool. artotellondonbattersea.com SEPTEMBER 2022 19

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IMAGES: GETTY; RITZ-CARLTON NEW YORK, NOMAD NEW YORK SM ART TR AVELLER CALL IT The Flatiron Building, near A NIGHT Madison Square Park High-end hotels are throwing open their Below: Room at the Ritz- doors in NoMad, one of the Big Apple’s Carlton New York, Nomad most happening ’hoods SEPTEMBER 2022 21 For a city that supposedly never sleeps, New York seems to be very keen on hotels: more than 9,000 new rooms are expected to be added this year alone. And with 56.4 million visitors set to arrive in 2022 — 85% of 2019 levels — the bedroom boom couldn’t come at a better time. Manhattan’s NoMad, in particular, is the district with the most activity. Having emerged from its late-20th-century doldrums, the region North of Madison Square Park — bordered by Lexington Avenue, 6th Avenue, 30th Street and 25th Street — gained a reputation as one of the city’s most up-and-coming areas after the opening of the Ace Hotel in 2009 and the NoMad Hotel in 2012. If further proof was needed, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos splurged $80m (£65m) on several apartments atop a 24-storey tower on Fifth Avenue in 2019, confirming it as one of the most sought-after neighbourhoods in town. And now NoMad is set to further bolster its reputation with a string of new hotels. The Johnston Building, constructed in 1903, has now become The Ned Nomad, a sister property to the stylish London hotel and members’ club. The 250-room Ritz-Carlton New York, Nomad followed in July at a cost of $500m (£410m) while the Le Méridien New York, Fifth Avenue is set to open in August. A decade in the making, The Fifth Avenue Hotel will finally open this autumn in a meticulously restored building dating back to 1907 with the Hotel Aka Nomad, on the corner of Madison Avenue, welcoming guests from November. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Hotels will see its 38-floor hotel open on the corner of 29th Street and Broadway in the winter. And finally, the AC Hotel New York Nomad — its launch date yet to be confirmed — will allegedly be the world’s tallest modular hotel with 26 storeys and 168 rooms. With rooms this enticing, sleeping might be all you want to do. thened.com ritzcarlton.com marriott.co.uk thefifthavenuehotel.com stayaka.com virginhotels.com PAT R I D D E LL GET LOCAL Live like a New Yorker with the tourism board’s Get Local campaign. The initiative showcases small businesses across the five boroughs, such as restaurants in Little Bangladesh, Queens, and a Brooklyn ice cream factory. nycgo.com/getlocal

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SM ART TR AVELLER MUST-TRY DISHES COCONUT DHAL Dhal is a real Sri Lankan classic, and this version — cooked with lemongrass and pandan leaves, as well as coconut milk, curry leaves, turmeric, garlic and lime — is light and restorative. POL SAMBOL Sambols appear as condiments and side dishes on every table and deliver a hit of flavour. This is king among them, combining the sweetness of coconut, the heat of Kashmiri chillies and the zing of curry leaves and limes with the punch of Maldive fish. JAFFNA CRAB CURRY Cook crabmeat in a spicy, smoky curry sauce with coconut milk, curry leaves, fried onions and ginger. In the final seconds, add a generous amount of ‘meat powder’ — a spice mix heavy on fennel, cardamom and nutmeg. A TASTE OF Sri Lanka FRE S H VEG, FL AVO U RSOME C U RRIE S AN D AN ARR AY CYNTHIA OF BREADS AND PANCAKES ARE ALL ON THE MENU SHANMUGALINGAM is the author of Rambutan. Her first restaurant, also called Rambutan, opens in London in October IMAGES: ALEX LAU; DILUCKSHAN PUVIRAJ At the top of Point Pedro market, a few miles There might be hot red curries of roast The ingredient from my parents’ house at the northern tip aubergine, or braised breadfruit cooked in The foundation of of Sri Lanka, you’ll find a storey of fruit and coconut milk and smoky spices. There could most savoury Sri vegetable sellers. In the airy building, some be black curries, like pineapple or pork, Lankan dishes, fresh feet away from the black and gold sand, you cooked with toasted coconut, sugar and curry leaves are zesty can still hear the Arabian Sea. Beside the fish vinegar. There might be pillowy, crisp rotis; and fragrant; they market and above the rice guy, the fruit and flaky, folded parathas (flatbreads); fragrant contain a cinnamony veg sellers sit cross-legged. Each has a slightly coconut rice porridges and epic sharing compound and taste different specialism and price, but they’re all dishes, like chicken biryani or lamprais (rice, herby, like basil. surrounded by beautiful piles of produce. meat curry and vegetables wrapped in banana leaves and baked). Above: Coconut dhal with kale When you walk past the okra guy, he says, “Yes! Okra?” in Tamil, as if you’d asked a Spicy, fried things to eat are popular with question. If you glance at him in response, he a beer or some tea — perhaps fried vadai starts snapping off the ends of the plant with doughnuts studded with shrimp, cumin, a smile on his face. Breaking it in this way shallots and green chillies, or a mutton roll demonstrates how fresh it is — it shouldn’t be with a dollop of hot sauce. Or maybe the soggy, but have a taut body and snap clean. island’s famous fish dishes, such as turmeric fish curry, tamarind prawns or, most revered A Sri Lankan table should feature lots of of all, crab curry. And to wash it all down, vegetables — perhaps a dhal with kale, or a you’ll definitely need a cool drink or two. plantain curry — but it might also include crispy hopper pancakes, made of fermented This is an edited extract from Rambutan, rice flour and coconut milk, and fresh sambols by Cynthia Shanmugalingam, published by with green mango, raw carrots or green chillies. Bloomsbury, £26. SEPTEMBER 2022 23

Find your wonder Book tours, attractions & experiences

SM ART TR AVELLER ON THE TRAIL VALENC IA The World Design Capital for 2022 is brimming with striking art and architecture. Here’s how to admire the best of it on foot 1 NATIONAL MUSEUM 4 C ATEDR AL DE VALENC IA 5 6 OF CERAMICS AND A five-minute stroll will take you to 3 2 DECOR ATIVE ARTS the city’s real show-stopper — the Kick off with a visit to Spain’s gothic-meets-baroque cathedral, largest national collection of dating to the 13th century. See ceramics, which is housed in the intricate Roman chalice that’s the Palacio del Marqués de Dos purported to be the Holy Grail at Aguas. Originally built in the 15th the Capilla del Santo Cáliz, then century, this baroque building is stop by the Borja Chapel to admire worth a stop for its architecture paintings by the likes of Goya. alone, with elaborate rococo Perhaps most impressive, though, sculptures and frescoed ceilings is the altar: a gold-gilt collection of forming the backdrop to ancient statues and paintings set beneath ceramics, alongside period a cobalt-frescoed ceiling that’s furnishings, clothes, paintings nothing short of awe-inspiring. and more. culturaydeporte.gob.es catedraldevalencia.es 2 VAQUETA GA STRO MERC AT 5 CARME CONTEMPORARY 4 Valencia’s restaurants are often C ULTUR AL C ENTRE 1 temples to design in themselves. The CCCC is a former monastery One of the highlights is this that’s now a set of museums SEPTEMBER 2022 25 nature-inspired spot by local dedicated to all forms of art, where studio Janfri & Ranchal. Enter exhibition halls are tucked among through an artisanal grocery and gothic cloisters, Renaissance you’ll be greeted with lush plants courtyards and a medieval chapel. climbing brick walls and quirky Formerly the centre for the Royal lights draped above an open Academy of Fine Arts — where kitchen and bar (look out for the Valencian artists such as Francisco huge pink fish lantern). The food Domingo Marqués and Joaquín is excellent, too; try the Valencian Sorolla once studied — it’s now paella with scallops, lobster and home to a children’s sensory gallery artichokes for an authentic taste of as well as rotating exhibitions. the city. vaquetagastromercat.com consorcimuseus.gva.es ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN HAAKE 3 CENTRAL MARKET 6 CALLE DE LOS COLORES Just next door you’ll find the Striking Calle Moret, dubbed Mercado Central, one of Europe’s Calle de los Colores (street of biggest food markets. Stalls full of colours), was once a run-down cured meats, fresh fish and hunks alleyway, but is now the canvas of cheese have been enticing locals for a collection of murals since 1928, but the design is just as commissioned by photographer eye-catching as the produce, with Alfonso Calza, who has his studio iron-beamed ceilings, stained- here. Artists including Deih, glass windows and a mosaic-tiled Zíngaro and Capiflex were tasked dome among its features. Head with turning Calza’s photos into to the Central Bar to see the work art in 2016, creating now-much- of designer Francesc Rifé, or grab loved paintings, including lunch at Uno to view hand-painted ‘The Kiss’, which has become tiles by designer Jaime Hayon. something of a pilgrimage for mercadocentralvalencia.es couples. L AU R A F R E N C H

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SM ART TR AVELLER WHERE TO STAY Moxy Manchester City Manchester The red-brick bones of this former hat factory in Spinningfields have been brought to life by A STRIN G O F C RE ATIVE N E W STAYS ARE D RIVIN G the Marriott Bonvoy label. It’s full of playful THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE’S HOTEL SCENE character, from cocktails served in disco balls to motion-activated LED lights in the 146 ALL RATES QUOTED ARE FOR STANDARD DOUBLES, ROOM ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. Leven From top: Life Size modern rooms. Don’t forget to sign the digital IMAGES: CHRISTOPHER BAKER; MARIEL LIND HANSEN; RIKKI CHAN room at Leven; ‘guestbook wall’ before you check out. From Inspired by the city’s industrial past and famous love of reception at Moxy £99. moxy-hotels.marriott.com a good time, Manchester’s latest crop of boutique hotels Manchester City; take original Victorian architecture and add a dash of spiced rum iced latte The Alan sleek modern design and humour. Cue Leven, which at The Alan opened in the city’s Gay Village at the end of 2021. From At this ‘creatively charged’ pad near St Peter’s the outside, it couldn’t be more Mancunian: a former Square, go between the co-working space cotton warehouse with restored red bricks and Crittall and chic, minimalist rooms, which come windows. Step into the lobby and you’ll find the city’s stocked with magazines, a Google Nest smart irreverent spirit in the interior design, via emerald-green concierge and Ancoats Coffee, roasted nearby. fish-scale tiles, fluffy rugs and tongue-in-cheek pop art The made-in-Manchester produce doesn’t (look out for the guide to the local lingo on the wall). stop there: the restaurant and bar offer local libations and small plates made with regional The vibe is a little more subdued in the 42 rooms, ingredients. From £100. thealanhotel.com which range from the standard ‘Life Size’ to ‘Living The Dream’, a top-floor, two-bedroom duplex. But that Forty Seven doesn’t mean they skimp on style; the bright, spacious rooms are decked out with bespoke velour sofas, Set within a listed warehouse, the 32-room standalone tubs and parquet floors. Mattresses are property will marry the building’s original 100% natural and some rooms come with full kitchens. features with a bold, elegant design when it After all, Leven’s raison d’être is all about living — the opens this month. Expect lavish turquoise name ‘Leven’ comes from the Dutch for ‘live’. There are tones and bright florals paired against iron toasties and house-blend coffee on offer downstairs, columns and exposed brick. It’ll also be home plush seats to curl up in, and staff are on hand to knock to a contemporary Indian restaurant, Asha’s. up one of the house cocktails to get the evening started. From £149. fortysevenmanchester.co.uk A restaurant and underground cocktail bar are slated to open later this year, but that’s hardly a problem for now CONNOR MCGOVERN — Canal Street’s bars and Castlefield’s pubs are a short hop away. From £89. liveleven.com SEPTEMBER 2022 27

SM ART TR AVELLER FA MI LY FREE SPIRITS Family days out can be a strain on the wallet, so we’ve chosen some of the best free options up and down the country for some budget-friendly inspiration Scale an extinct volcano in Edinburgh Junction at Cromford. All run along former VR headsets at the IMAGES: GETTY; ANNE-KATRIN PURKISS rail lines and can be accessed at different Dark Skies Festival, South Climbing the 823ft-high Arthur’s Seat, in points. visitpeakdistrict.com Holyrood Park, is a must in the Scottish Downs National Park capital, and routes of varying difficulty Hunt fossils in Dorset mean it can be either an easy hike or a proper Left: Walkers on challenge. Make sure any younger children Visit the UNESCO-listed Jurassic Coast for a Arthur’s Seat, with and tots are in carriers, and ascend from the chance to find prehistoric fossils. Some of the views across Edinburgh east, up the grassy slope above Dunsapie best spots for fossil-hunting are the towns of Loch. With its incredible vistas of city, Charmouth and Lyme Regis, while at Swanage FIVE MORE FOR FREE countryside and sea, it’s well worth the climb. you can quite literally walk in the footsteps visitscotland.com of dinosaurs at Spyway Dinosaur Footprints, SEE STARS IN SUSSEX with its 100-plus fossilised tracks preserved in Head to Bignor Hill on moonless Ride a wave in Yorkshire a layer of rock. Also free is the Dorset Museum summer and winter nights for views of in Dorchester, home to the Weymouth Bay the Milky Way. southdowns.gov.uk The North Yorkshire coast is home to various pliosaur skull. jurassiccoast.org up-and-coming surfing spots, including WALK HADRIAN’S WALL Scarborough, Cayton Bay and Whitby. Bring Sail the seas in London Tackle part of the 84-mile- your own board and take to the water, or long Hadrian’s Wall Path in the learn with one of the local surf schools, In Greenwich, the world’s largest maritime wall’s 1,900th anniversary year. such as Dexters Surf School in Scarborough. museum is a hit with all ages thanks to its hadrianswallcountry.co.uk dexterssurfshop.com yorkshire.com exhibits on exploration and seafaring. The Ahoy! Children’s Gallery, specially conceived MAKE A SPLASH IN CORNWALL Cycle the Peak District trails for young visitors aged 0-7, brings the themes Bude Sea Pool is perfect for open-air of polar exploration, pirates and more to life. swimming, with free beach safety Explore the scenic South Pennines by bike: There’s also the new and equally hands-on Sea sessions. budeseapool.com you won’t be disappointed by the Monsal Things gallery, a ‘captain’s cabin’ to explore Trail (8.5 miles between Blackwell Mill and and the interactive Great Map, which takes SUMMIT SNOWDON Bakewell); the 13-mile Tissington Trail from over the floor beside the main cafe. rmg.co.uk Though steep and rocky, Llanberis Parsley Hay to Ashbourne; or the 17 miles of Path is the easiest route for families the High Peak Trail from Dowlow to High Peak RHONDA CARRIER climbing Wales’s highest peak. SEE THE WORLD IN LIVERPOOL The World Museum has displays on archaeology and ethnology. liverpoolmuseums.org.uk 28 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

seize the moment the good old times are NOW Hettegger Hotel EDELWEISS GmbH, Unterbergstrasse 65, 5611 Grossarl +43 6414 300 • www.edelweiss-grossarl.com • [email protected]

INSIDE GUIDE BODØ THE NORWEGIAN TOWN IS A POPULAR JUMPING-OFF POINT FOR ADVENTURERS, BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS TO LINGER The street art, museums and thriving cafe culture aside, The most inventive dishes are served at Lyst På brasserie, it’s the natural beauty that beckons most in this pint- or the candlelit, Italian-inspired Bjørk, where grilled skrei sized town above the Arctic Circle. Set around a working comes with creamed peas, poached egg, bacon-butter and fishing harbour, Bodø is bathed in salty sea air and backed aioli potatoes. lystpa.no restaurantbjork.no by snow-dusted mountains, and in the past decade has transformed into a mini metropolis where hipsters mingle For drinks, seek out gastropub Hundholmen, which with hikers in Champagne bars. pours its own-label beers, or book a tasting at local brewery Bådin. Alternatively, take in the blue sweep of the ord at Perhaps the best way to get to know the city is through its either Roast on the 17th floor of the Scandic Havet hotel, art: back in 2015, the town hosted the inaugural UpNorth or Top 13 Bar & Lounge at the Radisson Blu. Both offer Festival for urban art, where international graffiti artists panoramic views of the city and harbour as well as top- were let loose on the city’s walls. Street art murals range notch cocktails. hundholmenbrygghus.no baadin.com from ogres to butterflies and the Northern Lights, but scandichotels.com radissonhotels.com standouts include the one by Phlegm, on Sjøgata 18 — a long-nosed half-human creature straight from a Grimms’ If you’re visiting in summer, hike up Keiservarden fairytale — and the nearby Insomnia by Millo, which under the midnight sun for a bird’s-eye view of the city captures the busyness of thought when trying to sleep. and, on a clear day, the Lofoten Islands. The moderate, one-and-a-half-mile trail is a good bet for glimpsing the A 10-minute walk west is Svenskebyen (the Swedish green glimmer of the Northern Lights in winter, too. It’s Quarter), home to picture-pretty houses daubed in shades also the setting for the annual Nordland Musikkfestuke of red, blue, green and white, spread between the streets classical musical festival, which takes place between 5-14 of Prinsensgate, Hernesveien, Fredensborgveien and August this yearagainst a backdrop of epic ord views. Harald Langhelles gate. The area takes its name from the musikkfestuka.no Swedish Red Cross, which, when Bodø’s military air base was bombed during the Second World War, built houses for For souvenirs, pick up a designer handbag from Studio those who were rendered homeless — learn more about the EBN, where the creations are made from salmon skin, country’s aerial past at the National Norwegian Aviation which ostensibly functions like leather. And if you’re Museum. norwegianaviationmuseum.com feeling the bite of the northern wind, stock up on woollen sweaters inspired by those worn by sailors, designed by the When it comes to morning coffee, locals swear by sisters who run Fogg Gildeskål. fogg.no studioebn.com Melkebaren for the beans that come from a Bodø roastery. Alternatively, spice things up at Craig Alibone Pâtisserie After a day’s exploring, sink into the comfy beds at & Champagneria, which offers glasses of fizz alongside the new, Scandi-design Quality Hotel Ramsalt, with homemade croissants, macaroons and pralines. its harbour views and excellent brasserie. But to escape facebook.com/melkebaren craigalibone.com civilisation entirely, catch a ferry to Fleinvaer (population 30) and stay at the uber-modern Arctic Hideaway for For something savoury, reindeer and elk all make total immersion in nature. nordicchoicehotels.com appearances on Bodø’s menus, but between January and thearctichideaway.com reisnordland.no visitbodo.com April, migrating Arctic cod (skrei) is the superstar. nordnorge.com E M M A TH O M S O N LIKE A LOCAL VALNE SFOS SEN TRANØY KJERRINGØY IMAGES: VISIT BODØ/KAROLINE O.A. PETTERSEN; ALAMY To stretch my legs, Take the bus or drive Rigmor Myhre’s top I love to visit Bodø’s LIGHTHOUSE an hour north to three outdoor spots highest waterfall. It’s Watch the gentle this an idyllic fishing a short walk through Atlantic waves and post. Visit the Karl Rigmor Myhre the forest and it look across to the Erik Harr Museum is a former radio always clears my Lofoten Islands at this then go to a cafe to operator at the mind. My mother is peaceful lighthouse, try møsbrømlefser, a navy base in Bodø from Valnes and we which dates to 1864 flatbread filled with and has lived in the have a cabin nearby. and is only a few brown cheese, sugar, town since 1984 arctichikes.no hours’ drive north sour cream and butter. of Bodo. 30 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

SM ART TR AVELLER Kjerringøy, with its distinctive red and yellow houses Clockwise from left: Local fish served at Lyst På; Craig Alibone Pâtisserie & Champagneria; Skerstadfjord, near Bodø SEPTEMBER 2022 31

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SM ART TR AVELLER STAY AT HOME ST ALBANS Millennia of history are writ large across the Hertfordshire city, but there’s a modern side to discover, too, from vibrant markets to contemporary art IMAGES: ALAMY; SOPWELL HOUSE Why go Where to eat WHE RE TO STAY The market city of St Albans is heaving with Set in a 15th-century former boozer, award- On the outskirts of town, smart shops, bars and restaurants, as well as winning gastropub Dylans at The Kings Arms Sopwell House is perhaps St an array of sights spanning its history, from serves refined, seasonal dishes made with Albans’ smartest address. The Roman times through to the present day. top-notch produce. Its menu changes daily. 17th-century country house has Wander the pretty streets to admire the Tudor Alternatively, head to St Albans Charter bright, modern rooms and an shopfronts and medieval clock tower, before Market on a Wednesday or Saturday to try annexe of spacious suites, and calling in at what claims to be the UK’s oldest everything from paella to hot dogs, or time two restaurants, including new pub, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks. Beyond the city, your visit with the St Albans Vegan Market. pan-Asian opening Omboo. there’s easy access to gentle country walks, dylanskingsarms.com veganmarkets.co.uk Don’t miss the spa, which including the Alban Way; the former railway stalbans.gov.uk/markets stretches over two floors and line is now a traffic-free route leading 6.3 miles out into a garden, with hot tubs to Hatfield House and Heartwood Forest — a We like and saunas that have views vast new native forest, home to pockets of over the grounds. From £249, ancient woodland and wildflower meadows. St Albans Museum + Gallery, with its B&B. prideofbritainhotels.com enjoystalbans.com fightingcockssa.com neoclassical exterior, was revived and heartwood.woodlandtrust.org.uk reopened in 2018. The Georgian Town Hall From top: St Albans Cathedral; now thoroughly details the city’s history, as outdoor spa area at Sopwell House What to do well as hosting contemporary art exhibitions. Check out the old courtroom and cells to find SEPTEMBER 2022 33 Built partially on the site of the Roman city out more about law and order in the city before of Verulamium, St Albans wears its history admiring the paintings, sculptures and more. on its sleeve. Start at the Verulamium stalbansmuseums.org.uk Museum for a glimpse of ancient artifacts and recreated Roman rooms, before heading Don’t miss to the remains of the Roman Theatre, which dates back to around AD 140. Meanwhile, St Albans Cathedral is the city’s headline act. nearby Verulamium Park is home to its Founded in AD 793, it was largely destroyed own historic treasures. Here, you’ll find in the 16th century, and later rebuilt with the crumbling remnants of the Roman city romanesque and gothic touches. Inside wall, built between AD 265 and 270, as well you’ll find England’s longest nave, complete as the Hypocaust, a 1,800-year-old heating with 13th-century murals and stained-glass system housed under an ornate mosaic. windows. Book ahead for a tour of the Norman stalbansmuseums.org.uk tower and climb the 211 steps to enjoy views of the city. stalbanscathedral.org N I C O L A TRU P

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SM ART TR AVELLER BOOKS Dervla Murphy WE CELEBR ATE THE L ATE IRI SH TR AVEL WRITER — A FR ANK AND FE ARLESS ADVENT U RER WH O WA S R ARELY WITH O U T A B I KE BY H ER S I D E A straight-talking woman of passionate convictions, in November 2020. “It makes getting to know people much Dervla Murphy was a travel writer who loved a local beer, simpler. It sends a message that you really do trust them.” hated cruise liners (“I’d pay £10,000 not to set foot on a cruise ship”) and saw mass tourism as a “disaster”. Born in She was a light packer (her preference for travel by Lismore, County Waterford in 1931, she received a second- bike, mule or on foot forced the issue), and her essential hand bicycle and an atlas on her 10th birthday and resolved items included a volume of poetry, a big pack of aspirin that she’d one day cycle to India. Her first trip away from and an indefatigable curiosity. She relied on making local Ireland, at the age of 20, saw her biking through England connections, and despite being attacked by wolves in and Wales writing a series of articles for Hibernia magazine. Bulgaria, robbed in Siberia and threatened by soldiers in Continental trips followed and in 1963, she set off by bike for Ethiopia, she maintained her worst incident was at home, India, as she’d long promised herself, returning home a year when she shattered an arm after tripping over her cats. later to write her first book, Full Tilt. With an itinerant appetite that endured well into her final Dervla was occasionally accompanied by her only decades, Dervla visited more than 30 countries, but said she daughter, Rachel, although she often set off on her own. “wouldn’t live anywhere else than my own little bit of west “You’re much more likely to make friends with people if you Waterford”. She died at home on 22 May this year at the age arrive alone on a bicycle,” she said in interview in The Times of 90, survived by her daughter Rachel and granddaughters Rose, Clodagh and Zea. SA R A H BA R R E LL MURPHY’S L AW: THREE OF HER BEST BOOKS IMAGE: ALAMY FULL TILT: IREL AND A PLACE APART (1978) THROUGH SIBERIA BY At the height of the TO INDIA WITH A Troubles, aiming to put ACCIDENT (2006) aside the sectarian loyalties Due to a leg injury, Dervla BICYCLE (1965) that might have come from had to rethink her trip Dervla’s debut recounts her own family connections to Ussuriland, a Russian an epic ride to India. to the IRA, Dervla cycled outpost, to explore the Setting out from Lismore to Northern Ireland to try territories of Siberia in 1963, she travelled via to unpick the situation, instead. There she found Europe, Iran, Afghanistan creating a travelogue that features revealing humbling hospitality during and Pakistan on her trusty interviews and exchanges with locals on both a journey of self-discovery and contradiction bicycle, facing 50ft snowdrifts in the Turkish sides of the divide. Eland, £13.99 — human warmth and kindness against a bleak highlands and some punishing pedalling through backdrop. John Murray Press, £10.99 the heat of the Himalayan summer. Eland, £14.99 SEPTEMBER 2022 35

SM ART TR AVELLER KIT LIST DIVING Take your underwater adventures to greater depths by equipping yourself with these ocean-friendly scuba essentials 1 FINISTERRE NIEUWLAND 1 2 5 5 BEUCHAT M A XLUX 2E YULEX LONG SLEEVE 6 DIVING MASK SHORTY WETSUIT 3 You won’t miss any of the marine Made from 2mm-thick natural 4 7 life around you when wearing this rubber, this ergonomic wetsuit is a mask. Its tempered glass lens is sustainable alternative to regular 8 slightly closer to your eyes, which neoprene swimwear, using 10 expands your field of view. The times less water in its production frameless design means it packs and reducing CO2 emissions by up down smaller than rival options to 80%. Combining a long sleeve and also reduces internal air and a short leg, it’ll keep you cool space, meaning you won’t need to and protected on warm water equalise the air pressure as you descents. £135. finisterre.com dive. £49.95. simplyscuba.com 2 PAR ALENZ VAQUITA 6 SOLITE OMNI 2.0 CAMERA WATERSPORT BOOTS With its cylindrical chassis, this With their thin and flexible 4K point-and-shoot camera has uppers, these diving shoes been created with divers in mind. provide a cool and comfortable It’s easier to operate than square- extra layer inside your flippers. shaped alternatives, and you don’t The boots’ one-piece construction need any additional filters or envelops the toes and heel for waterproof housing. Novices will protection against sharp surfaces. appreciate the automatic feature The 3mm sole makes them that adjusts the white balance comfortable enough to walk to or relative to depth. €799 (£687). from the water on rocks or pebbly paralenz.com terrains. £69.95. soliteboots.uk 3 APEKS RK3 HD FINS 7 SEIKO SPB301 PROSPEX Apeks’ RK3 range is a popular DIVE WATCH choice for divers, and its latest This classic timepiece is inspired model is arguably its best yet. by Seiko’s 1970 stainless-steel These fins are made from a diver’s watch, which was worn by stiff, tough thermoplastic with the Japanese adventurer Naomi negative buoyancy, enabling Uemura on his 7,800-mile solo the diver’s legs to achieve the dog-sled run from Greenland to optimum position when moving Alaska. Each sale helps support through the water. It’s the Seiko’s Save the Ocean marine perfect all-round diving fin. £137. conservation activities. £1,200. apexdiving.com seikowatches.com 4 ZONE 3 OPEN WATER DRY 8 PERFECT MOMENT BAG TECH BACKPACK CHEVRON WETSUIT When it comes to keeping kit The streamlined, comfortable dry, triathlon and swimming cut of this Lycra swimsuit allows brand Zone 3 has you covered. divers to focus on their form. This waterproof backpack has Its cut-out thighs mean you’ll welded seams and a folding have room to move, while your seal to keep your gear safe from shoulders remain protected from splashes. The 30-litre capacity chafing vest straps. Ideal for easily accommodates dry robes warmer destinations, the wetsuit and towels, while the mesh front is stretchy and lightweight. £240. pocket allows quick access to perfectmoment.com essentials. £89. zone3.com LIZ CONNOR 36 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

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