National Geographic Traveller UK 09.2022_downmagaz.net_compressed

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BRAZIL S linking through the tall grass, by Sir David Attenborough, the project brought the feline form ahead of us global attention to a vast area of Brazil few is mesmerising. She moves people could pinpoint on a map. lithely, graceful as a burlesque mademoiselle, but her ability Wild, unpredictable and, in parts, to vanish in an instant makes unfathomable, the Pantanal is the world’s largest tropical wetland. Bigger than England, her more nebulous than a it sprawls across two Brazilian states and creeps into areas of Bolivia and Paraguay. ghost. “Seeing this jaguar is During the summer rainy season, from December to March, its network of waterways even more special than seeing any other,” flood; in the dry season, the waters recede, exposing vast savannahs and gallery forests. says Mario Haberfeld, co-founder of Brazilian After landing in Campo Grande, the capital NGO Onçafari, who’s clocked up more big cat of Mato Grosso do Sul (the state that contains most of the Pantanal), I’d driven for five hours sightings than most. “Mainly because she to reach Caiman Ecological Refuge, where Onçafari is based. Road signs gave way to wasn’t supposed to exist.” creaking wooden gates demarcating ranches. Six-banded armadillos rattled below their Aracy, the rosetted beauty now crouched in fleshy plates of armour as they scuttled for cover; pantaneiros (cowboys) herding cattle front of us, is a symbol of hope for her species. stained the sky with amber clouds of dust. The granddaughter of Isa, an orphaned jaguar Over 30 years ago billionaire Brazilian conservationist Roberto Klabin added successfully rewilded by Mario and his team in high-end eco-lodge Casa Caiman to his family’s 204sq mile working cattle ranch. 2015, Aracy is living, breathing proof of nature’s Glossy photographs of the Pantanal decorate Roberto’s former home, along with polished ability to thrive if given a helping hand. Rescued sculptures of jaguars — the area’s A-list species. Outside, a wooden platform leads to by wildlife authorities when their mother was a pond, where caimans sun-bask on the shore and jacana birds hop between lily pads. accidentally killed after straying into an urban Eleven years ago, Roberto invited Mario area, Isa and her sister Fera were destined to to base his fledgling NGO on the farm after realising the pair shared a passion: preserving spend their lives in captivity. Reluctant to let the Pantanal’s fragile ecosystem. Although mainly based between Miami and São Paulo, that happen, Mario and his team embarked on a Mario also has a house at Caiman, where he IMAGES: SARAH MARSHALL invites me for dinner, along with lead field pioneering, year-long programme to release the biologist Lili Rampin. A paean to the cat he’s devoted the past decade to protecting, it’s big cats back into their natural habitat, training filled with jaguar paraphernalia: cups, saucers, plates and even a soap dispenser in the them to hunt and survive without developing a bathroom are daubed in the cat’s tawny shades and distinctive, rosette-stamped livery. dependency on humans. Documented by the 2016 BBC documentary Jaguars: Brazil’s Super Cats, with a narration 102 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

Mario Haberfeld (at the wheel) and his team attempt to locate collared jaguars using a vehicle customised by Land Rover to tackle Oncafari’s wetland Left: A toucan, a common bird sighting in the Pantanal, surveys the vegetable gardens of Caiman Previous pages: A caiman lurks in a water hole; jaguar sightings at Caiman have risen, with 99% of guests spotting one in 2021 compared to 24% in 2014 SEPTEMBER 2022 103

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BRAZIL IMAGES: ALAMY; SARAH MARSHALL On a shelf sits a 3D paper model of the by vehicle, ensuring they’d never become too Stumpy capybaras predator made by an artist Mario found on familiar with humans. Esperança (whose name wade through Instagram, while a customised big cat statue means ‘hope’ in Portuguese) was one of the first shallow lagoons, greeting guests in the porch was bought at a animals Onçafari collared in 2012, allowing seemingly oblivious charity auction as part of São Paolo’s annual them to track her with a telemetry device. The to crafty egrets Jaguar Parade charity event. Verging on the lauded matriarch’s acceptance of humans has hopping on their obsessive, the immaculately curated collection been inherited by a succession of cubs, making backs for a free ride has — Mario assures me, with a wry smile Caiman Ecological Refuge arguably the best — been amassed over many years. place in the world to see jaguars in the wild. Clockwise from top left: The Rio Negro runs through the Santa Sofia A retired racing driver, Mario doesn’t seem “In 2012, we had 35 sightings, but we see conservation area, where Mario like an obvious candidate for a conservationist. that in a week now,” explains Lili, the elfin- Haberfeld hopes to start ecotourism But after years spent travelling the world driven like powerhouse driving Onçafari’s ongoing projects; capybara with its young; by a passion for spotting iconic species — from research work. two chestnut-bellied guans rest on pandas in China to polar bears in Churchill a cow skull at Caiman; field biologist — he felt compelled to do something for the The statistics say it all: in 2021, 99% of Diogo Lucatelli checks camera trap animals in his own country. guests at Caiman saw a jaguar compared to footage as part of a project to study 24% in 2014. Plus, only a small proportion of and habituate tapirs “I wanted to develop ecotourism based those were collared, indicating that a new on animal sightings,” he tells me, setting a generation of wild animals feel comfortable SEPTEMBER 2022 105 jaguar-print napkin on his lap. “In particular, with the presence of vehicles. I wanted to demonstrate that the jaguar is worth more alive than dead by providing Tracking down the truth employment opportunities for communities and a model for others to replicate. We’re an To better understand the field work Lili and NGO that wants our local partners to succeed her team are doing, I join a citizen science because that’s the only way, in the future, day experience with Onçafari — available to people are going to conserve.” guests at Caiman for a fee. At 6am, an open-top, canary-yellow Land Rover collects me. The Borrowing a habituation technique used company, which has donated several off-road with leopards by Londolozi, a conservation- vehicles to Onçafari, recently launched a series focused safari lodge in South Africa’s Greater of limited-edition vehicles in honour of the Kruger, Mario recruited a team of biologists and NGO’s 10th anniversary. It’s one of several high- embarked on a mission to familiarise reclusive jaguars with vehicle engines. Distancing himself from the practices of petting zoos or domestication, he describes the process as “a natural encounter”. “They don’t gain anything from it, and they don’t lose anything from it,” he insists. “We’ve never fed the animals.” As for any risk involved in altering an animal’s behaviour, he points to studies carried out on both habituated and non- habituated jaguars where little or no differences were found. His team would spend hours around the cats, coughing each time they edged closer so as not to startle them. The animals were carefully monitored and only ever tracked

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BRAZIL IMAGE: GETTY Water lilies at sunrise in the profile partnerships forged by Mario. Bushnell, Pantanal wetland, which for example, provides camera traps, airline Gol sprawls some 42 million Intelligent Airlines supplies select flights for acres across Brazil, NGO workers and The North Face has designed Bolivia and Paraguay the staff uniform. “Since I was 12, I was racing go-karts and I needed sponsors,” Mario explains, as we leave the gated grounds of Casa Caiman, the refuge’s main lodge (jaguars have become such a frequent presence here, a perimeter electric fence was installed last year as a safety precaution). “What I learned in the racing world, I applied here.” Driving slowly through retired pastures commandeered by forest, wire fences are the only evidence this pristine area was ever strictly managed. Fronds of donkey tail grass glow strawberry-pink with the first rays of daylight and delicate spider webs glisten in the early-morning dew. Perched on the weathered slats of a wooden gate, a roadside hawk scans for his breakfast. Stumpy capybaras (the world’s largest rodent) wade through shallow lagoons, seemingly oblivious to crafty egrets hopping on their backs for a free ride. Around 200 jaguars have been registered at Caiman Ecological Refuge in the past decade, with an estimated 60 currently frequenting the area. At the time of my visit, seven of those have been collared (but that number is likely to increase in the next few months). Holding aloft a telemetry device, biologist Pedro Reali tries to locate Tupa, a hulking male, whose name — meaning ‘thunder’ in local Tupi dialect — belies his silent, feather-light steps. Beeps pinging through a receiver grow louder, indicating the animal is close. Unperturbed by our presence, he allows us to follow him into the grasslands, while Lili regales us with heart-warming anecdotes of previous encounters with the big cat, including the time she lovingly picked maggots from a wound in his nose, ultimately saving his life. Once Tupa vanished into the distance, Pedro produces a bag of dental paste to create a cast of his footprint as a memento for me to take home. Collaring undoubtedly makes it much easier to locate jaguars for visitors, but tracking devices are also important tools for collecting scientific data. Science has and always should be the primary motivation, says Mario. Back at Onçafari’s research centre, we scroll through a database of videos taken from camera traps over the years. “The standard literature says jaguars are solitary,” Mario SEPTEMBER 2022 107

BRAZIL by Onçafari is open-source. “The more information that gets published about these animals, the better,” he says. Clockwise from above: says, referring me to footage of multiple A land to protect IMAGES: AWL IMAGES; SARAH MARSHALL Acerola fruit in the jaguars sharing a carcass. “We also believe garden of cowboy Seu jaguars mate for pleasure or as a way to protect Once dispersed throughout the Americas, Domingos Retiro Arara, their young by distracting threatening males.” jaguars have lost almost 50% of their range, who’s worked at Caiman largely due to conflict with humans. Although for decades; saddles Although many of these surprising findings the Pantanal is one of their last strongholds, and stirrups hang inside have been detailed in academic papers, Mario almost 95% of it is privately owned farmland, a stable at Caiman; admits the scientific community initially where the presence of an apex predator like the six-banded armadillo scorned his efforts. “In the beginning, it was jaguar is seen as a threat to cattle. sniffing the air for scent, very hard. People couldn’t understand what a common sight in the the heck we were doing,” he says, recalling the A working ranch, Caiman Ecological southern reaches of the surprised expression of government officials, Refuge is living proof cattle and jaguars can Pantanal region when he revealed his only professional comfortably co-exist if the land is properly experience was as a racing car driver. managed. Cattle grazing grounds are rotated, sharing some areas with wildlife and on “But a lot of people who criticised us in the average, only 3% of cattle are lost per year to past have since become our partners because the big cats. But it takes more than numbers they’ve seen what it’s possible to learn from to convince Brazil’s staunchly conservative habituation. No one had ever followed jaguars pantaneiros to protect a perceived enemy. in this way before.” Eager to gauge local opinion, I head to a sub- Over time, Onçafari has achieved station on the ranch, to meet a cowboy who’s international acclaim. Working alongside been employed by Roberto’s family for decades. conservationist Kristine Tompkins and the Welcoming me into his garden, which is filled Rewilding Argentina Foundation, it helped with acerola trees, Seu Domingos Retiro Arara reintroduce the first male jaguar into the Iberá courteously doffs his straw hat. As integral to Wetlands, in northeast Argentina, in January his daily wardrobe as pants and socks is the 2022. A further stamp of scientific approval robust, leather ‘guaiaca’ belt around his hips, was given when Mario was invited to become slung with a knife and sharpener — a sign he’s a board member of Panthera, the only global rarely away from the field. NGO devoted to wild cats. Sitting down to a country breakfast of Now respected as an expert conservationist, cassava, minced meat, rice, beans and deep- Mario has generously made sure data collected fried cheese bread, he tells me the south Pantanal is suffering its worst drought in a century. Wildfires, he says, are the biggest threat to farmers. Not jaguars. In fact, over time he’s learned to live alongside the animals, appreciate their value and realise there are far bigger pressures jeopardising his way of life. Attitudes across the country are also changing. Until recently, most Brazilians couldn’t understand why anyone would want to visit a place ‘full of flies and insects’. But — in line with a global trend — the pandemic has fuelled an appreciation for nearby nature. Another driver for the region’s newfound popularity, Mario tells me, is the success of Brazilian telenovela Pantanal (it regularly pulls 10 8 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

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BRAZIL IMAGE: RENATO GRANIERI Only one road runs in several million viewers), which follows the the Pantanal is South America’s answer to through a tangled fortunes of a woman who morphs into a jaguar. Botswana’s Okavango Delta, he’s in talks with forest of lofty palms, several African safari operators that want to set broad ferns and Despite the area’s blossoming superstar up camps and has secured licenses to rewild indeterminable tree status, the state offers little protection Pantanal fauna on site — injured or unwanted species likely to send against the growing menace of agricultural domesticated animals that would otherwise botanists into an cultivation. Instead, that responsibility end up caged in sanctuaries. Days trips between excitable head-spin has been largely left to philanthropists like Santa Sofia and Caiman will start later this year. Roberto and Mario. Above: A Brazilian There’s certainly enough wildlife to justify a cowboy leads a herd Working in collaboration with several safari. On a boat trip along the black-water Rio of cows near Caiman private donors, Onçafari’s latest and most Negro, I watch kingfishers shatter the glassy ambitious project has been the purchase of the reflections of mangroves; during a walk, I neighbouring 135sq mile farm, Santa Sofia. look up to see a rainbow of scarlet macaws arc Historically, the amount of water in this area overhead; and on one lucky, early-morning of the wetlands has impeded development, drive, a family of elusive maned wolves saunters Mario tells me during a 90-minute boat ride across the path in front of us. It’s proof jaguars to reach the property. But 30% of the land has aren’t the Pantanal’s only animal attraction. dried in the past 30 years, presenting worrying possibilities. Currently, only one road runs All creatures great and small through a tangled forest of lofty palms, broad ferns and indeterminable tree species likely to Back at Caiman, I visit the Instituto Arara Azul send botanists into an excitable head-spin. It’s (IAA), an NGO that’s been protecting hyacinth a lost world so pristine in parts, I wonder if any macaws since 1990. Biologist Neiva Guedes human has ever set foot here. started the project to boost populations of the world’s largest parrot species, declining due The former owner, a cantankerous old to the illegal pet trade and the destruction woman who was once accused of illegally of slow-growing, cavity-filled mandovi trees selling jaguar-hunting safaris, confined (favoured by the fussy birds as nesting sites). herself to a small area, meaning under 2% of the land has been touched. Fellow biologist Kefany Ramalho takes me to see one of many artificial nest boxes on the According to Mario’s masterplan, a mix of farm. Territorial birds swoop and squawk as investments, including carbon and biodiversity her colleagues use ropes and harnesses to scale credit, pasture rental and tourism will make ‘surrogate’ trees, checking to see if any of the Santa Sofia self-sustaining. Confident that SEPTEMBER 2022 111

BRAZIL Pantanal Corumbá Rio Negro CAIMAN ECOLOGICAL REFUGE Campo Grande MATO GROSSO DO SUL BRAZIL Pantanal Mato Grosso do Sul 100 miles Hyacinth macaws GETTING THERE & AROUND using a custom-built British Airways flies daily, nonstop, between Heathrow and São Paulo. nest box, Caiman European carriers such as Air France, Ecological Refuge Iberia, Latam Airlines and TAP Air Portugal offer one-stop flights via their wooden homes are occupied. Meanwhile, she their behaviour on camera. Eventually, he European hubs. ba.com airfrance.co.uk IMAGE: SARAH MARSHALL. ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER downloads footage from a camera trap. “I don’t hopes one will step into a trap they’ve set, iberia.com latamairlines.com know how many lifetimes we’d need to analyse allowing vets to dart and collar it. flytap.com this data,” she sighs, as a pair of novelty, Average flight time: 12h. macaw-shaped earring jangle from her ears. Despite using the same habituation To reach the Pantanal, fly nonstop from technique applied to jaguars, the process is São Paulo to Campo Grande with Latam But efforts have been rewarded: in the much slower with tapirs. “To feed them would Airlines or Gol Intelligent Airlines. two decades since the IAA has been based at be much easier,” explains Diogo, during our voegol.com.br Caiman, the local hyacinth macaw population stake out of one site. “But we don’t want to do It’s a four-five-hour transfer by road to has risen from 80 to 400. Sadly, the ongoing that. We’ve chosen the hard way, because this Caiman Ecological Refuge, arranged threat of fires and climate change means needs to be based on science.” through a tour operator or the lodge. the birds could once again be classified as endangered in 2023. Accordingly, we wait in silence as the sun WHEN TO GO becomes a faint whisper and sounds of the night Winter (June to August) sees pleasant While Kefany invites guests to monitor her intensify. Screeching louder than Grand Prix temperatures of 26-28C, rising to 30C birds and plant native mandovi trees as part drivers burning rubber off the line, an army in the spring dry season (September of a reforestation programme, Onçafari is of frogs dash to secure their nightly positions, to November), the best for spotting busy on the other side of the ranch with more while acrobatic fishing bats splash like jaguars. The rainy season (December to projects, including attempts to rewild injured skimming stones across the surface of a lagoon. April) renders some areas impassable or unwanted pumas and habituate tapirs. Shining brighter than the lights of Manhattan, and brings intense mosquito activity. Field biologist Diogo Lucatelli, who’s leading a million reptilian eyes stare back at us from the the Tapirapé Project, takes me on an evening water — but our tapir is nowhere to be seen. For PLACES MENTIONED drive to search for the shy, snout-nosed now, he remains lost in a lost world. Onçafari. oncafari.org herbivores. Often referred to as ‘living fossils’ Instituto Arara Azul. because they so closely resemble their earliest Driving back to Casa Caiman, I’m struck by institutoararaazul.org.br ancestors, they put us to shame in terms of the irony of animals roaming freely on land evolutionary longevity, having been around once dedicated to cattle farming. But Mario WHERE TO STAY for 50 million years (we’ve been around for less and his team have shown that, if given an Caiman Ecological Refuge, from than 1% of that time). opportunity, the natural world will find a way BR$3,852 (£596) a night all-inclusive, to flourish. As trees grow taller and paw prints based on two people sharing a suite, Having carefully identified several of their increasingly decorate trails, there’s every excluding alcoholic drinks, excursions favourite routes, Diogo has created artificial chance the Pantanal could become even more and an environmental fee of BR$500 clay licks to lure the animals so he can record beautifully bewildering than it is today. (£77) per person. caiman.com.br MORE INFO Visit Brazil. visitbrasil.com A Visitor’s Guide to the Great Wetlands of Brazil (Bradt Travel Guides). £16.99 HOW TO DO IT Abercrombie & Kent offers a seven- night trip to Brazil, including five nights all-inclusive at Caiman from £6,999 per person, based on two people sharing. Includes flights, transfers and two nights in Rio de Janeiro. abercrombiekent.co.uk 112 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

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| PAID CONTENT FOR TENUTA DI CARLEONE A TRUE TASTE OF TUSCANY Tenuta di Carleone Five ways to get beneath the surface of Italy’s most beautiful region. Words: Kiki Deere

| PAID CONTENT FOR TENUTA DI CARLEONE W ith its rolling vineyards, TOP TUSCAN frescoed churches and WINES medieval hilltop towns, Tuscany epitomises Italian Three top picks from culture. Florence, the regional capital, is Tenuta di Carleone widely regarded as the birthplace of the winemaker Sean Renaissance and abounds with churches, O’Callaghan galleries and museums displaying some of the world’s finest works of art. Outside UNO the city, the region’s fertile soil produces Created using prime exceptional ingredients that burst with Sangiovese grapes, this flavour and give life to award-winning elegant, award-winning produce, from olive oils to cheeses and wine is one of our most wines. For a new perspective on one of Italy’s popular products. most popular regions, here are five ways to get off the beaten track and uncover a new CHIANTI CLASSICO side of Tuscany. A delightfully smooth Chianti, with oak notes IMAGES: GETTY; FRANCESCA PAGLIAI 1 TASTE TRUFFLES around the town’s small, compact centre, and a fruity finish. This is Dominating the lower Arno valley where a delightful cluster of medieval a wine that truly captures between Pisa and Florence, the hilly area of buildings and cobbled lanes offer gorgeous the essence of the region. San Miniato is celebrated for its much-prized views of the surrounding landscape. white truffles. These knobbly fungi thrive in ROSATO the area’s shaded woodlands and damp soil, 4 FIND CONTEMPORARY ART This crisp, refreshing so much so that the world’s largest white As you cruise along Chianti’s winding Tuscan rose is created truffle, weighing 5.56lb, was discovered roads, you’ll spot contemporary sculptures using only Sangiovese here in 1954. In autumn, tartufai, or truffle by national and international artists nestled grapes, picked early and hunters, scour the forest floor accompanied among the vineyards, parks and hamlets. whole bunch pressed. by hunting dogs — faithful companions who Sitting atop the ancient walls of San are attracted to the truffles’ intense aroma. Casciano, Il Cervo is an aluminium-coated PLAN YOUR TRIP Visit in November, when San Miniato’s sculpture depicting a deer, while in Radda medieval streets host one of Italy’s most you’ll find dream-like botanical creations by Tenuta di Carleone offers celebrated white truffle festivals, where you Leo Lionni. The Parco Sculture del Chianti accommodation in two sizeable can sample handmade tagliolini topped at Pievasciata is home to a permanent villas exuding Tuscan charm: with truffle shavings. exhibition of contemporary sculptures and Pianvecchio, a farmhouse with is certainly worth a visit. Or you can walk a swimming pool surrounded 2 DRINK IN THE VIEWS the circular five-mile Slow Road connecting by countryside; and Castiglioni Stretching from the hills south of Greve, San Cresci and Montefioralle, a (pictured above) the estate’s Siena to Monte Amiata, Val d’Orcia boasts scenic route sprinkled with terracotta art beautifully restored medieval some of the area’s most spectacular views. installations that harmoniously blend in hamlet with seven bedrooms. Here, mist-covered hills carpeted in olive with the landscape. Travel by car from Florence, Pisa groves and vineyards, punctuated by rustic or Siena (there are car charging farmhouses and pastures, were inspiring 5 GO WINE TASTING stations at the villas) and there’s Renaissance painters long before the The vineyards around Radda are also a private helipad on the landscape was granted UNESCO World renowned for producing some of the best grounds. For more information, Heritage status in 2004. Perched on a hilltop wines in the Chianti Classico wine-making visit tenutadicarleone.com overlooking the valley, the small village region. The area’s hilly landscapes are of Pienza is a Renaissance marvel that’s caressed by onshore winds and cool night well worth a visit. Pope Pius II transformed breezes, giving life to elegant, delicate wines. this humble medieval village into what he Nestled among the region’s wooded hills and considered to be an urban utopia, with an fertile fields is Tenuta di Carleone, a small ensemble of harmonious buildings that artisanal winery producing Sangiovese remains one of the country’s most exquisite wines with a twist, farmed organically examples of Renaissance architecture. following biodynamic principles. Enjoy a vineyard tour and sample Uno, the Tenuta’s 3 SOAK UP SMALL-TOWN CHARM flagship wine, made using only the best While Florence’s beauty is undeniable, grapes from the estate’s 50-acre vineyards, the city often groans under the weight of aged for 18 months in tonneaux barrels, tourists who flock here year-round to admire cement tanks and stainless-steel containers. its Renaissance masterpieces. Instead, escape the tourist crowds and head to Radda, a charming hilltop town nestled among lush Chianti vineyards. Defensive walls wrap

Wales In the east of the Brecon Beacons National Park are the mighty Black Mountains, straddling the border of Wales and England. It’s an area that’s often overlooked, but those who find their way here discover a region that belies its dark name: a greenscape of hills and valleys, home to thriving wildlife and passionate, forward-thinking communities WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHS: DANIEL ALFORD 116 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

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WA L E S Near the town of Crickhowell is the Llangattock Escarpment, a craggy limestone ridge that rises hundreds of feet above the landscape. It’s a dramatic glimpse into South Wales’s industrial past: limestone was quarried here in the 18th and 19th centuries and sent down to the limekilns along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. The lime was then used as fertiliser, white wash or in the important iron- making trade. The industry has long gone, and the escarpment is now a popular beauty spot, grazed peacefully by sheep and wild ponies. SEPTEMBER 2022 119

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At the top of Bryn Arw, a hill north of Abergavenny, Rob Penn (third from left) leads a group of volunteers through the ferns and foxgloves. A former lawyer, Rob co-founded Stump Up For Trees, a tree-planting charity that aims to enhance the area’s biodiversity and restore the mountain to its natural woodland state. Here, in the drizzle, the team are ‘bracken bashing’, which clears away dead or dying bracken to allow hawthorn saplings to grow. SEPTEMBER 2022 121

WA L E S The handsome border town of Hay-on- Wye is renowned for its literary heritage, celebrated each year with its annual arts and literature festival. The town, tucked into the northernmost corner of the national park, is steeped in history, too: the castle was built during the Norman invasion of Wales and was used as a manor house until the 17th century. Hay’s winding narrow streets are full of cafes, bookstores and shops, including Welsh Lavender, which stocks creams and balms made with lavender grown in the Welsh hills by Nancy Durham. It also makes an ideal base for exploring this rural corner of Wales, with river walks along the River Wye’s grassy banks offering plenty of opportunities for swimming and wildlife-spotting. 12 2 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

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WA L E S The Black Mountains form a natural frontier between Wales and England, and were used to great effect by the 8th- century Anglo-Saxon king Offa, who had his eponymous dyke built here to delineate Wales from his kingdom of Mercia. The 177-mile Offa’s Dyke Path follows the ancient earthwork along the modern-day border. On the English side, in Herefordshire, is Black Mountains Botanicals. In the shadow of Black Hill (also nicknamed the ‘Cat’s Back’) the team craft gin in their barn using locally sourced produce, from the clear mountain water to the region’s many different orchard fruits. SEPTEMBER 2022 125

WA L E S The hills around Llangorse Lake offer incredible views westwards to the central Brecon Beacons, including to South Wales’s highest peak, Pen y Fan. These mountains are by far the most popular places to visit within the national park, but the Black Mountains to the east provide a calmer, more gentle escape, with ancient oaks dotted along the valley slopes, awe-inspiring priory ruins like those at Llanthony, and welcoming local pubs between remote villages. It’s possible to walk for miles in this green swathe of countryside, passing only ponies, sheep and the occasional feathered friend, too. 126 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

BACKBATCKOTONNAATUTREURE TakeTi iaskaeilifseastlyiflesbtyralendbrcaenndtrceednotrnedstyolnisshtycloismhfcoormt wfoitrht asntydlewainthdawpiathssaiopnasfsoirosnufsotarisnuasbtialintyability TA K E I H O M E . C OMM

| PA I D CO NTE NT FO R IT S ITA LY ITALY’S HIDDEN HEEL Aerial view of historic town of Ginosa in south Italy The pull of Puglia Below: Tailor Angelo Inglese Located on Italy’s heel, Caprarica di Lecce and Ginosa are two slow-paced Pugliese towns that have slipped PLAN YOUR TRIP under the tourist radar London-based ITS ITALY aims to simplify the process of buying and managing property CAPRARICA DI LECCE GINOSA abroad. Having signed a partnership with IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK Located a 15-minute drive south of Everyone raves about the UNESCO more than 60 municipalities across Italy, duomo-crowned Lecce — dubbed World Heritage marvel that is Matera, it aims to offer concrete opportunities to ‘the Florence of the South’ for its and rightly so. But just a half-hour invest and integrate with local communities, extravagant baroque palazzis drive south, where Basilicata sneaks while reinvigorating small towns and — Caprarica di Lecce is more modest into Puglia, lies Ginosa. Teetering on villages. Find out more at itsfor.it about its charms. A late-Renaissance the edge of a ravine, this is a town of baronial palace presides over the extraordinary beauty, honeycombed historic centre, where life revolves with ancient cave dwellings, around simple pleasures like strolling churches, staircases, hanging around the piazza, lounging on cafe gardens, cisterns and workshops terraces and eating at traditional carved into the sheer limestone. trattorias, where exquisite farm-to- fork menus take centre stage. The pine-fringed golden sands of the Ionian coast are a quick drive Gentle country hikes unfurl on the south, but there’s plenty to keep you doorstep and within 20 minutes, you in town, too: Piazza Orologio with can be on one of the most ravishing its clocktower, the baroque Chiesa stretches of the Adriatic coast at Madre church and a cliff-hugging Roca’s sparkling turquoise Grotta Norman castle built to ward off della Poesia (Poetry Cave), or among Saracen invaders. the dunes, pines, soft sands and rock stacks at Torre dell’Orso. ITS ITALY has also reinvested in this town’s heritage and reignited its Honouring traditional crafts, passion for traditional crafts. One companies such as ITS ITALY have local legend is tailor Angelo Inglese given the town a new lease of creative at Sartoria dal 1955 — G Inglese life — and you really feel it when you Store, who hand cuts and sews shirts, see artisans like Raffaele Verri at work. jackets, coats and ties of the finest He skilfully sculpts everything from silk, wool and cotton, which have been furniture and tiles to pendants using worn by everyone from Berlusconi the soft, malleable local limestone, and David Beckham to Prince William pietra leccese. on his wedding day.

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CITY LIFE SINGAPORE The city-state’s roster of award-winning drinking dens includes stellar hotel bars, sleek speakeasies and reimagined Chinatown shophouses. For a real taste of Singapore’s spirit, there’s no better introduction than its cocktail scene WORDS: DELLE CHAN. PHOTOGRAPHS: LAURYN ISHAK 130 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

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SINGAPORE It’s almost dinnertime in Singapore and I’m nonprofit organisation that promotes the city’s Q&A with Rusty about to polish off an Oyster Omelette. I’m not craft cocktail culture. Cerven, bar manager at one of the city’s celebrated open-air hawker at Manhattan centres tucking into the beloved local dish — a Native isn’t the only bar in Singapore glorious mass of crispy, gooey eggs studded spotlighting local and regional ingredients. HOW HAS SINGAPORE’S with succulent bivalves — but I’m sitting in We visit nearby Sago House, another buzzy CR AFT COCKTAIL SCENE a bar, enjoying a cocktail of the same name. watering hole in Chinatown. Occupying the E VO LV E D REC E NTLY ? top floor of a shophouse near the Buddha The use of regional craft The bright yellow concoction is creamy Tooth Relic Temple — a majestic red-and- spirits has grown, with the and delightfully rich in umami — startlingly white structure built in the Tang dynasty style Philippines, South Korea and reminiscent of the dish it pays homage to. As in 2007 — it offers a weekly rotating cocktail even Singapore producing bartender Josh reveals, the cocktail’s base selection shaped by what’s available in local their own gins brimming with is a distillate of oysters harvested from the markets. Scrutinising the menu options tropical botanicals. Local waters off Pulau Ubin, a small island north- scrawled in marker pen across a windowpane, ingredients are now also east of Singapore’s mainland. The drink is I plump for a highball containing Korean at the heart of our cocktail topped with miso-cured egg foam, coriander Chuga soju, coconut vodka, citrus and culture. With all these shoots, a smattering of Kampot pepper and tieguanyin, a Chinese oolong tea widely ingredients at our fingertips, a dash of Shaoxing rice wine. And it’s served in enjoyed in Singapore. The cocktail is light there’s so much to work with a cup made from oyster shells, no less. and smooth with a subtle vanilla undertone, and so many stories to tell. making for easy drinking. The oyster omelette is one of many WHAT’S THE SECRET TO inventive tipples at Native, a laid-back, I glance around the small, dimly lit bar, A GREAT COCKTAIL? two-storey bar in Singapore’s Chinatown, which is, unsurprisingly, a hive of activity A genuine smile! Anyone can where colourful heritage shophouses sit in on a Saturday evening. It’s what Vivian make a good cocktail with the shadow of the city’s soaring skyscrapers. describes as a “labour of love”: opened during some practice, but one that’s Opened in 2016, the bar celebrates local and the pandemic, its three co-owners built made and served with great regional spirits, ingredients and flavours, the interiors almost entirely by hand using hospitality will always be while producing as little waste as possible upcycled materials, including coffee sacks impactful and unforgettable. (which explains the creative barware). To salvaged from local roasters. The result is a this end, many of its ingredients are cured, raw, eclectic space enlivened by a colourful WHAT ARE YOUR THREE pickled or fermented to extend their shelf life. cartoon mural and an R&B-heavy soundtrack. FAVOURITE BARS IN “In a small place like Singapore, sourcing can “It feels like I’m coming to a friend’s house,” SINGAPORE? be a challenge,” says owner Vijay Mudaliar. says Vivian. “It’s not shiny, flashy or super No Sleep Club, Republic Bar “Sometimes we get great produce, so I’m swish, but that’s part of the charm.” and Atlas [see page 139]. In always thinking of ways to extract and that order, you’ll encounter lengthen those flavours. And other times After draining our glasses, we step out into a friendly neighbourhood we get produce that isn’t as fresh, but can be the muggy night, threading our way through bar, unparalleled service fermented,” he adds, gesturing to the rows of bustling, lantern-festooned streets and past and hospitality, and jaw- pickling jars lining the shelves. groups of elderly men playing Chinese chess dropping interiors. They’re on the sidewalk. Our final stop this evening is all so different in their DNA. This, along with the bar’s composting and one of Guoyi’s bars, Gibson, housed in a former nosleepclub.sg upcycling efforts, has effectively created what huay kuan (Chinese clan association) building republicbar.com.sg is practically a zero-waste operation. “The dating back to 1935. Guoyi’s late grandfather amount of trash the bar throws out every night was the founding chairman of the Gan Clan Previous pages: Marina Bay, Singapore could fit into the palm of your hand,” says cultural association here, and the family Vivian Pei, a cooking instructor, writer and legacy lives on through Gibson today. Clockwise from top: Yugnes senior academy chair of the annual World’s Susela, owner and bartender of 50 Best Bars list. She’s one of my guides for “For me, it was a natural decision to take Elephant Room; The Peranakan the evening, the other being Gan Guoyi, on the property. One of the things I love about cocktail at Native Bar; grilling prawn co-founder of the Jigger & Pony group, a local the building is its heritage, so I wanted to and mutton satay at Lau Pa Sa hospitality behemoth. Both women also head retain its original facade and structure,” says up the Singapore Cocktail Bar Association, a Guoyi, pointing to the beautiful stained-glass SEPTEMBER 2022 133 windows and antique ceiling. In the same

vein, Gibson’s back bar has been tiled with we could proudly call a Singaporean cocktail From left: The Cloud Forest at (newer) stained glass, adding to the vintage bar.” He tells me that the bar’s menus always Gardens by the Bay; colourful heritage vibe of the space. have something to do with Singapore. The shophouses near Chinatown; making latest iteration features 10 tipples inspired by prata in Tekka Market in Little India Like Native and Sago House, Gibson a traveller’s account of visiting the city. sources many of its ingredients from local and Six Singapore regional producers. This ethos shines through Singapore’s infamous chewing-gum ban establishments in my cocktail of choice, Urban Farmer No. 3, is overtly referenced in the tongue-in-cheek feature on The a light, fragrant medley of gin from Singapore- Can Bubble Gum?, a saccharine, mezcal-based World’s 50 Best Bars based Brass Lion Distillery and passionfruit concoction topped with a light candy- 2021 list, with marigold, granny smith apples and lime from flavoured foam. However, the cocktail that highest-ranking local urban farm Edible Garden City. catches my fancy is Garden City, which is also entry Jigger & Pony Singapore’s nickname. There’s a surprising coming in 9th. Savouring my tipple, I reflect on just how amount of nature woven into Singapore’s far Singapore’s craft cocktail scene has come. urban fabric, from tree-lined streets and In the late 2000s, cocktail bars were few and verdant parks, to the Cloud Forest at Gardens far between, with beer and whisky being by the Bay and the UNESCO-listed Singapore the poison of choice for most drinkers. Fast Botanic Gardens. It’s an abundance of forward 15 years and the city is peppered greenery encapsulated in the drink — a light, with world-class venues, many of which are herbaceous tipple made with gin and Ayuuk (a championing local and regional flavours in smoky spirit), and infused with musk melon, their craft. As Guoyi puts it, these are places lime, shiso and a touch of honey. where “you honestly won’t get a bad drink”. I couldn’t agree more. The emphasis on place continues at Shangri-La Singapore’s Origin Bar, a swish A taste of the city space decked out in dark wood, gold accents and peacock-blue tones. Here, bartenders Over the next few days, I hit up yet more bars shake up creative cocktails inspired by to find the city further reflected in inventive the city’s six key districts. Following bar beverages. First on my list is Nutmeg & Clove, manager Adam Bursik’s recommendation, a bright, airy space on Purvis Street known for I opt for two rum-based creations: ID Please, its Singapore-inspired cocktails. a refreshing mix of Chalong Bay rum, cacao white, yuzu and lemongrass; and Tropez, a “When we opened eight years ago, there rich, smoky blend of chocolatey Matusalem were a few cocktail bars in Singapore, but they rum, vermouth and Buddha’s hand (a fingered were mainly quite international,” says owner Colin Chia. “I wanted to set up something that 13 4 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

SINGAPORE INSIDER TIPS citron native to Asia). As Adam explains, both architecture). In the same vein, the shelves are cocktails pay homage to the historic Balestier lined solely with Indian-made spirits, while Bottled cocktails are booming in neighbourhood. “Balestier used to be a ingredients are sourced from Little India’s Singapore, and you can easily get sugarcane plantation, hence the rum,” he says. markets on a weekly basis. some delivered to your hotel room. Smoke & Mirrors offers a wide Other offerings on the current menu include Yugnes wastes no time serving me his range of ready-to-drink libations in the Crystal Moj!to, a contemporary take on bestselling drink, Buffalo Road: gin infused three different sizes: 100ml, 250ml the classic cocktail. Instead of muddling with pink guavas purchased from the and 500ml. smoke-mirrors-shop. mint leaves and lime juice, Adam distils both eponymous street in Little India. “Gin and myshopify.com ingredients to create a clear concoction. It’s tonic was actually born in India, during the an innovative technique that nods to the colonial era,” he says. “We decided to give it Planning to spend an evening ultramodern Marina Bay district, which is a twist, adding a bit of vetiver [a grass native bar hopping? It’s best to get known for its spaceship-shaped hotel and to India] to give it a woody note.” Next, he around using Grab, the Singapore solar-powered Supertrees vertical gardens. offers me a taste of The Mango, a carbonated equivalent of Uber, although you’ll rendition of mango lassi (a yoghurt-based have to contend with price surges Over at The Elephant Room, the spotlight drink) topped with ginger foam. Yugnes says during peak periods. grab.com is entirely on the vibrant enclave of Little that mangoes are considered a “celestial fruit” India, where colourful markets are thick in some Indian cultures, often featuring at Time your trip to coincide with the with the scent of spices, and street sellers important occasions such as weddings. annual Singapore Cocktail Festival, hawk everything from flower garlands to which is due to be held in late 2022 gold jewellery. According to co-founder “Many locals don’t really know very much (dates TBC). Participating bars will Yugnes Susela, “everything in The Elephant about Little India beyond the Mustafa Centre shake up themed concoctions, Room has some sort of reference point to [shopping mall], and that’s kind of sad,” says and there’ll also be bar crawls and Little India”. For instance, the menus and Yugnes. “But when customers exit our door, boozy brunches to look forward to. coasters are embroidered with fabric offcuts they learn something new.” Leaving the bar singaporecocktailfestival.com from the neighbourhood’s sari shops, and an hour later, replete with yet more culturally the bar counter is built on russet-hued inspired cocktails, I can declare that I jaali (ventilation blocks common in Indian certainly feel enlightened.

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SINGAPORE TOP 8 Creative cocktail bars ATL AS ANALOGUE BEST FOR: GIN GALORE BEST FOR: VEGAN TIPPLES This stylish bar is renowned for its opulent The brainchild of Native’s Vijay Mudaliar, this art deco interiors and enormous 26ft-tall vegan bar was a first for Singapore when it drinks cabinet, which houses around 1,300 opened in 2021. Sustainability is at its heart, varieties of gin from as far afield as Iceland, from the tables fashioned out of recycled Moldova and Argentina. The sheer scale of its plastic and mycelium (a type of fungus) to the encyclopaedic menu can be overwhelming, 100% plant-based menu. Try the refreshing but you can’t go wrong with one of the classic Cactus — a mezcal-based concoction made juniper-based tipples like the Martini with prickly pear, pink dragon fruit and aloe — shaken by a spiffily suited mixologist who vera — which pairs perfectly with dishes looks like they’ve stepped straight out of such as pumpkin dumplings and celeriac The Great Gatsby. atlasbar.sg ratatouille. analogueinitiative.com Clockwise from top left: The Dai-Ginjo MR STORK 28 HONGKONG STREET cocktail at Gibson Bar; Jay Gray making a cocktail at Sago Club; Buddha BEST FOR: DRINKS WITH A VIEW BEST FOR: SPEAKEASY VIBES Tooth Relic Temple, built in the Tang Perched atop Andaz Singapore, Mr Stork Also called 28HKS for short, this atmospheric dynasty style in 2007 in Chinatown; certainly delivers when it comes to venue is often credited with putting street market in Chinatown, where spectacular views. Here, you can drink in Singapore’s cocktail scene on the map. Like shophouses have been reimagined as expansive vistas of the Singapore skyline most speakeasies, it’s pretty much hidden intimate bars and restaurants while sipping on creative cocktails such as from plain sight, tucked behind the unmarked the Balinese-inspired Barong — a mix of door of a nondescript 1960s shophouse. But spiced rum, palm sugar, pineapple, lime once you seek it out, you’ll be rewarded with and bitters. Book one of the bar’s in-demand US comfort food and top-notch tipples such as teepee huts, which are ensconced among the Lazy Bear (gin, vermouth, peach liqueur tropical greenery in a nod to how storks build and French herbs), all served to a ’90s hip-hop large stick nests in the trees. hyatt.com soundtrack. 28hks.com SEPTEMBER 2022 137

SINGAPORE 1 mile Balestier Singapore Little Botanic Gardens India SINGAPORE Singapore River Chinatown Supertrees CBD Marina Bay Singapore Strait Harbourfront Sentosa SINGAPORE Island Chinese checkers is a game GETTING THERE & AROUND played every day in Chinatown Singapore Airlines offers nonstop flights from London Heathrow and JIGGER & PONY PAPA DOBLE Manchester. British Airways and ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER Qantas also operate a direct London BEST FOR: A CONVIVIAL ATMOSPHERE BEST FOR: LITER ARY LIBATIONS to Singapore route. singaporeair.com This beloved hangout ranked second on Asia’s Formerly The Old Man Singapore (an outpost ba.com qantas.com 50 Best Bars 2021 list, and for good reason. of the original in Hong Kong), the newly The drinks are superb, and the menu (loosely rebranded Papa Doble continues to celebrate Average flight time: 13h30m. styled on an issue of Monocle magazine, the life and work of Ernest Hemingway, To get around, you can rely on complete with full articles and photoshoots) is who was affectionately known as ‘Papa’ in Singapore’s comprehensive — and perhaps the most creative around. But it’s the Cuba, where he lived for some 20 years. Its extremely clean and comfortable ambience that’ll keep you coming back. You’ll experimental drinks menu is inspired by — public transport network, which find that the atmosphere is relaxed but never the author’s experiences — try the #1927 comprises MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) raucous, while the friendly bartenders are (Rémy Martin, Madagascar bean vermouth, trains and buses. Alternatively, hail a more than happy to engage in conversation. maraschino and bitters), a bold, robust metered taxi or download the Grab jiggerandpony.com cocktail that pays homage to the writer’s rideshare app. vivacious second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer. M ANHATTAN papadoblesg.com WHEN TO GO Hot, humid Singapore is a fantastic BEST FOR: BARREL-AGED COCKTAILS PL ATFOR M year-round destination, with Manhattan isn’t your typical hotel bar. It’s temperatures consistently hovering fancy, sure, with lots of leather and dark BEST FOR: LOW-ALCOHOL OPTIONS between 25C and 33C. Because of wood, inspired by the glamour of 1920s New Head to this minimalist space for low-alcohol the city’s tropical rainforest climate, York. However, its drinks menu — ‘a pictorial beverages; nothing on the menu is above 11% showers and even thunderstorms are essay of cocktails’ showcasing famous ABV. Its spritzes focus on ‘the art of dilution’, a regular phenomenon, especially in Manhattanites — is a cut above the rest. Home exploring how melting ice can change the the afternoons, so remember to pack to the world’s first in-hotel rickhouse (whisky- character of a drink over time. Go for the Spicy an umbrella. ageing cellar), the barrel-aged cocktails are a Pepper 04, which features ripe mango, green must-try. The Rickhouse Trolley tasting flight cardamom, togarashi salt and black pepper WHERE TO STAY includes the Paper Plane (Maker’s Mark 46 wine. It’s a punchy but light-profile drink you The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Central bourbon, Amaro Montenegro, Aperol, lemon). won’t feel guilty downing at noon, when the Business District. From £248, room only. manhattan.regentsingapore.com.sg bar opens. platformstudio.co fullertonhotels.com The Warehouse Hotel, Robertson Quay. From £171, room only. thewarehousehotel.com MORE INFO Visit Singapore. visitsingapore.com Lonely Planet Singapore, £13.99 HOW TO DO IT Hayes & Jarvis can personalise a Singapore and Bangkok tour, during which you have three days to explore the Lion City at your leisure before boarding the luxury Eastern & Oriental Express train to Thailand. From £5,199 per person for 10 days in 2022 (prices for 2023 TBC). hayesandjarvis.co.uk 138 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

| PAID CONTENT FOR AVALON WATERWAYS FIVE ACTIVE EXPERIENCES River cruises River cruises are a slow-travel option for exploring Europe’s valleys, but they also offer fast-paced adventures for active travellers. Words: Samantha Lewis 1 KAYAK THROUGH A CANYON 3 JOIN A BIKE SAFARI Above: The medieval Golubac The Gorges de l’Ardèche is a series of At the Netherlands’ Hoge Veluwe Fortress on the Danube River limestone cliffs carved by the Ardèche River National Park, 25 miles of cycle trails weave marks the entrance to Serbia’s over millennia, forming an 18-mile canyon through an ever-changing landscape, from Djerdap National Park in the south west of France. Much of this woodlands and dry heaths to shifting sand nature reserve is only accessible by water: dunes. Discover it on a ‘bike safari’, keeping PLAN YOUR TRIP paddle past the Pont d’Arc, a natural bridge your eye peeled for the park’s ‘big four’: red that serves as a gateway to the canyon, and deer, roe deer, wild boars and mouflons. All experiences are available via Avalon along this Rhone tributary, keeping an eye Waterways’ Active & Discovery river out for otters and kingfishers, as well as 4 TAKE A GRAFFITI-THEMED WALK cruise concept, which offers activities vultures, falcons and eagles soaring above. A key player in the Flemish Renaissance, for travellers of all fitness levels. With its Ghent has expanded its cultural credentials spacious Panorama Suites and a limited 2 CLIMB UP TO A CLIFFTOP to include a thriving street art community. number of guests on each vessel, its Suite MONASTIC COMPLEX Take a tour of the Belgian city’s art scene, Ships provide a relaxed experience along A UNESCO World Heritage Site in northeast including its aptly named Graffiti Street Europe’s rivers. Visit avalonwaterways.co.uk Bulgaria, the 20 medieval churches and — a canvas for muralists where everyone is IMAGE: ALAMY chapels forming the Rock-hewn Churches welcome to leave their own mark. of Ivanovo monastic complex were dug out by Christian hermits from the rocky 5 HIKE AND REFUEL banks of the Rusenski Lom River. There’s Serbia’s Djerdap National Park is home to a bit of a climb to reach Holy Virgin’s Rock the Iron Gates, the Danube’s longest, deepest Church, the only cave open to the public, gorge through the heart of the Carpathian but its beautifully preserved 13th- and 14th- Mountains. Discover it on a hike, stopping to century frescoes are worth the effort. What’s refuel with traditional specialities along the more, you’ll be able to enjoy panoramic way (the area’s cuisine bears influences from views of the surrounding natural park. Romania, Turkey, Hungary and Greece). SEE MORE ONLINE AT NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

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CITY LIFE ANTWERP An arresting clash of old-world grandeur and industrial power plays out across Belgium’s unpretentious second city, home to historic dockyards, award-winning cuisine, captivating museums and some of the country’s best beer WORDS: DANIEL STABLES. PHOTOGR APHS: KE VIN FAINGNAERT Antwerp has long been at the centre of things. to fortune, of course; before that, in the 16th Belgium’s handsome northern city grew and 17th centuries, the city was famed for the wealthy on the profits of its port, trading riches of its citizens. A wealth of grand Flemish since the 16th century in glittering diamonds, buildings survive from this era, including the priceless works of art and the spices and spoils home of Peter Paul Rubens, the masterly painter of assorted empires. The Port of Antwerp whose work remains the pride of Antwerp. remains extraordinary: a Blade Runner-esque noirscape of industrial architecture, where the Despite this grand past, the city is a rusted hulks of old trade ships sit side-by-side straightforward kind of place, where bustling with space-age modern buildings, presided cosmopolitanism and commercialism can still over by a steel canopy of creaking girders and be felt everywhere. Car-boot traders cheerfully looming cranes. Nothing encapsulates the set up shop in the grand squares of the historic port’s double-edged character like the Zaha core, and the boxy post-war architecture south Hadid-designed Havenhuis, where a futurist, of the train station makes a humble setting for diamond-like building glitters atop a historic the world’s most lucrative diamond district former fire station. In the midst of it all are remnants of the port’s pre-industrial life The character of the city also reveals itself — lonely church towers, frozen windmills and, through food: even with a galaxy of Michelin most charming of all, the village of Lillo: a stars, the favoured local dish remains, pocket of Old Flanders marooned among reed reassuringly, a steaming pot of moules with beds and duckboard walkways. a bucket of frites. This unpretentious spirit pervades the city, whether you’re dining by Today, most visitors arrive in Antwerp by lamplight in the rarefied surrounds of the train, with the city’s heritage on show in the historic stock exchange or rubbing shoulders cavernous marble hallways of Antwerpen- with the bright young things of Belgium’s most Centraal railway station, a masterwork of vibrant nightlife scene. art nouveau architecture. This style crops up throughout the city, most notably in the Antwerp’s broad, leafy boulevards and fashionable district of Zurenborg, where outdoor cafes might evoke those of Paris, eye-catching houses are testament to a boom but in the cobbled, 16th-century alleyways, during the late 1800s. Antwerp is no stranger Flemish townhouses and sprawling, retro- futurist port, Antwerp shows its true face: one which is all its own. SEPTEMBER 202 2 141

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ANTWERP SEE & DO Jean Fouquet’s Madonna Surrounded by A girl’s best friend Seraphim and Cherubim. kmska.be About 84% of the C AT H E D R A L O F O U R L A DY: Among the RU B E N S H U I S : The stereotype of the artist world’s rough-cut treasures in Antwerp’s Gothic cathedral starving in a dark garret wasn’t for painter diamonds pass are two vast Peter Paul Rubens triptychs Peter Paul Rubens, as his former home and through the city’s — including his masterwork, The Elevation workplace attests. Buying the grand property Diamond Quarter to of the Cross. Little chapels branch off from in 1610, he transformed it into something the tune of billions of the ambulatory, adorned with kaleidoscopic akin to an Italian palazzo, with a neoclassical dollars every year. The stained glass that floods the marble in courtyard and even a miniature ‘Pantheon’ industry is dominated technicolour on sunny days. You can also room. Rubens’ own works are also exhibited by a small community worship at the altar of Belgian beer at De Plek, here, of course; meet the artist’s gaze in his of Jains, who began the cathedral’s bistro-bar. dekathedraal.be self-portrait. rubenshuis.be moving from India to M U S E U M P L A N T I N - MO R E T U S : For a vivid R E D S TA R L I N E M U S E U M : Antwerp’s Belgium in the 1960s illustration of the wealth that flowed through most captivating human-interest museum Antwerp in the 16th century, visit the former chronicles the lives of some of the two million Previous pages: The grand, art deco home and workshop of printing magnate passengers who departed Europe for the US Antwerpen-Centraal railway station Christophe Plantin. Gorgeous rooms, decked on the Red Star Line ships, including Albert out in dark wood, harbour magnificently well- Einstein and Irving Berlin. The museum Clockwise from top: Handschoenmarkt preserved artifacts of the printing revolution, outlines the struggles and indignities faced square, near the Cathedral of our including the world’s two oldest surviving by the passengers, who endured stringent Lady; Vrijdagmarkt square, home to a printing presses, dating from around 1600. medical examinations and rough living Friday antiques market; kicking back at There are also priceless manuscripts, conditions on the journey. redstarline.be Luddites Books & Wine; dinner is served including the grandly illuminated Wenceslas M A S M U S E UM : This angular, red sandstone- at Invincible reastaurant Bible. museumplantinmoretus.be and-glass confection is the city’s largest ROYAL MU SEUM OF FINE ARTS (K MSK A): museum, with its varied exhibitions spanning SEPTEMBER 2022 143 Reopening in September 2022 after being everything from Antwerp’s food scene to closed for over a decade, the neoclassical pre-Columbian art. Those interested in the building that houses the Royal Museum of mechanics of museums will be fascinated Fine Arts has had a top-drawer makeover and by ‘A Look at the Collection’, which tells will once again be the best place in Antwerp the human stories behind chosen objects, to admire the works of the Flemish Masters. including who made, used and collected Collection highlights include Hans Memling’s them. mas.be Portrait of a Man with a Roman Medal and

ANTWERP LIKE A LOCAL K U L M I N ATO R : Hundreds of Belgium’s famous beers can be sampled at this under- the-radar bar, where the elderly proprietors will only deign to let you in if you ring the bell then utter the password, “I am here to taste beer.” Inside are board games and a quiet atmosphere. One for the purists. facebook.com/kulminator.friends E XOT I C M A R K E T: The rather vaguely named Exotic Market sees locals descend every Saturday on the Oudevaartplaats, not far from the Rubenshuis, for a worldwide street food tour. Alongside Belgian classics (shrimp croquettes and stroopwafels) are stalls selling French cheese and charcuterie, Moroccan small plates, Mexican quesadillas and more. D E ROM A : A sumptuous art deco auditorium is the centrepiece of this 1920s former cinema, which now serves as a multipurpose performance venue. Local bands and singers grace the stage along with international acts on tour; indie films are shown; and there are expos and events on issues as diverse as refugees and mental health. deroma.be S E E F B R E W E RY: There are several great brewery tours to choose from in Antwerp (including at the legendary De Koninck), but Seef’s is the best. Owner Johan Van Dyck is a colourful character who will talk you through his revival of Antwerp’s historic Seefbier, a cloudy buckwheat blonde known as ‘working man’s champagne’. The tour is followed by tastings, naturally. seef.be Right: The Grote Markt statue that depicts the city’s foundational myth in which Brabo, a Roman soldier, throws a giant’s hand in the Scheldt River 14 4 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL



ANTWERP E AT BUY What’s in a name? One local legend says £ F I S H A’G O G O : It’s a crowded field, L U D D I T E S B O O K S & W I N E : Urbane ‘Antwerp’ is a derivative but this legendary street shack just off the travellers will feel right at home in this of the Dutch for ‘hand Grote Markt does the best fish and frites in charming bookshop, which has a decent throwing’, named after Antwerp. Perch at a tiny sea-blue wooden table English-language selection among its cookery a malevolent giant who and chair and order the house specialities books, novels, poetry and assorted non-fiction. would sever the hands — mussels in white wine sauce or shrimp Shopping done, head upstairs to the laid-back of sailors until he was croquettes, served with that most Belgian bar, where you can enjoy a glass of wine while dealt the same fate of accompaniments: chips and mayonnaise. leafing through your purchases. luddites.be by a Roman soldier. Oysters, when in season, are also a fantastic T H E C H O C O L AT E L I N E : Self-described A bronze fountain in choice. fishagogo.be ‘shockolatier’ Dominique Persoone puts a the Grote Markt depicts £ £ I N V I N C I B L E : This relaxed restaurant modern, vibrant spin on traditional Belgian the myth has a reassuringly slim menu: a creamy chocolate. The purple selection boxes offer pancetta pasta, rich bouillabaisse and lamb a rotating medley of Dominique’s creative Clockwise from top: Walking along sausage are the mainstays, alongside what offerings, which include treats infused with the Scheldt beside The View Antwerp may just be the finest steak in Antwerp. Opt matcha and bergamot, calamansi and pine observation wheel; at work in at the to sit at the bar surrounding the open kitchen nuts, and more. They all look and taste like Chocolate Line; the courtyard of Museum for a lively, sociable dining experience. tiny works of art. thechocolateline.be Plantin-Moretus, which focuses on 16th- invincible.be D R I E S VA N N OT E N : The ‘Antwerp Six’ are century printing; Jazzcafe De Muze, which £ £ £ F I E R A : The grand surroundings the most prominent movers and shakers on hosts live music five nights a week of Antwerp’s former stock exchange form the city’s world-renowned fashion scene. the backdrop of this elegant city-centre Among them, Dries van Noten has garnered restaurant, all ornately carved stone archways particular appeal for his colourful threads. His and wood panelling worthy of a cathedral. flagship shop is on Nationalestraat, just a few Just as spectacular as the setting is the food, steps from the ModeMuseum, where you’ll find including mouth-melting kobe beef and truffle an informative exhibition of the finest work by pappardelle. fiera.be Antwerp’s designers. driesvannoten.com 14 6 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL



ANTWERP Port of Antwerp Antwerp Havenhuis BELGIUM Red Star Line Museum MAS Museum c h e l dt Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerpen-Centraal Museum railway station Rubenshuis Plantin-Moretus ANTWERP Diamond Quarter S Royal Museum of Fine Arts 500 yards Lounge space in the GETTING THERE & AROUND stylish Yust hotel The quickest and most comfortable way to get to Antwerp from the UK is AFTER HOURS SLEEP to travel by Eurostar from London St ILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER Pancras to Brussels and then take one JA Z ZC A F E D E M U Z E : Hang out with £ Y U S T: Combining sociability with an of the many regular trains onwards to Antwerp’s hepcats at this glorious, cavernous eye for design, this ultra-stylish hostel has Antwerp. eurostar.com trainline.com jazz bar, which resounds with live music five bookcases lined with arty books, plush Average journey time: 2h40m. nights a week. Pull up a chair at one of the banquettes bookended with houseplants and British Airways, Brussels Airlines, wooden tables, spread across two floors, and a breezy rooftop garden complete with sofas. Lufthansa and Ryanair fly from UK soak up the lounge-like atmosphere while The dorms are charming, too, with recessed airports, including Manchester sampling a wide selection of beers, wines and wooden bunks and cosy window seats. Large and Heathrow, to Brussels, but not spirits. jazzcafedemuze.be private rooms are also available. yust.com directly to Antwerp. ba.com DAVA I : If you need a break from Belgian £ £ H OT E L RU B E N S : Down a quiet side street brusselsairlines.com lufthansa.com beer, look no further than this voguish off bustling Grote Markt, Hotel Rubens promises ryanair.com cocktail bar, decked out with wooden pallets, the best of both worlds. The rooms and stylish Average flight time: 1h20m. potted plants and bare bulbs. The menu spans communal areas have an airy, modern feel that It’s possible and enjoyable to explore dozens of classic and creative cocktails; try the belies their historic surroundings, and some the majority of Antwerp’s attractions oriental blossom, with rum, elderflower and overlook the baroque tower of St Paul’s Church. on foot. For sights further afield, use ginger. davai.be hotelrubensantwerp.be the efficient De Lign transit network A M P E R E : Antwerp’s clubbing scene £ £ £ B OTA N I C SA N C T UA RY: This — tickets, bought online or at stops, outperforms that of sedate Brussels, and exquisite hotel, set in a 12th-century can be used on buses and trams — or Ampere is one of the city’s finest institutions. monastery and surrounded by botanical Antwerp’s waterbus. Bikes can be The emphasis is on house and techno, with gardens, is the epitome of peace and quiet. rented using the Velo network. world-leading international acts such as Rooms feature splendid wooden beams and delijn.be portofantwerpbruges.com Nina Kraviz and Joris Voorn appearing period windows, but are otherwise modern velo-antwerpen.be alongside Belgian veterans like Marco Bailey. and understated, with an earthy colour palette Workshops in music production, video and and in-room greenery. There are four excellent WHEN TO GO photography are held here during the day. fine-dining restaurants, including traditional Summer is pleasant, with plenty of ampere-antwerp.com Belgian offerings at 1238. botanicantwerp.be sun and temperatures generally falling between 20C and 25C. Rainfall is a possibility year-round, and in fact is slightly higher in the summer months, so a waterproof layer is always advisable. Spring and autumn are relatively mild, while December is also a good time to visit as the traditional Christmas markets open. MORE INFO Antwerp Tourism. visitantwerpen.be The Rough Guide to Belgium & Luxembourg, £9.99 HOW TO DO IT Eurostar offers three nights in Antwerp at the NH Collection Antwerp Centre hotel B&B, including trains from London, from £310 per person. eurostar.com 14 8 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL

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TR AVEL TALK ASK THE EXPERTS NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NE X T TRIP ? ARE YOU AF TER RECOM MENDATION S, TIPS AND GUIDANCE? OUR EXPERTS HAVE THE ANSWERS… THE EXPERTS Jonny Bealby Founder, Wild Frontiers John Walton Aviation journalist Richard Hammond Founder, Green Traveller Connor McGovern I’m keen to start planning a minarets and glittering palaces Rabat. This combination of Silk IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY; SANDY STEELE-PERKINS Commissioning editor, and madrasas will give you an idea Road architecture in Uzbekistan National Geographic Silk Road trip for 2023. What of just how much wealth flowed and nomadic culture in Kyrgyzstan Traveller (UK) through this area. Uzbekistan is the is hard to beat. highlights would you suggest quintessential Silk Road country, From left: Poi-Kalyan minaret with its caravanserais, impressive For something more out-there, and madrasa in Bukhara, for a two-week tour? monuments and various cultural you could combine Uzbekistan with Uzbekistan; Mallinson’s Not only is the Silk Road a influences, and Registan Square Turkmenistan. This itinerary would Woodland Retreat fascinating part of the world, in Samarkand is one of the most include the Silk Road cities of but it also offers a real sense of iconic sites on the route. Uzbekistan, but also take in some a ‘journey’ as you follow in the of Turkmenistan’s most impressive footsteps of countless traders, Kyrgyzstan, meanwhile, offers sights, including the Darvaza gas pilgrims and warriors who trod this a great introduction to rural life crater, the ancient city of Merv path between the 2nd century BC in Central Asia. Here you can stay and the curious capital, Ashgabat. and the 15th century AD. You can with semi-nomadic people in yurt With more time I’d recommend the get a reasonable sense of the area camps by Song Köl Lake or Lake Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan and in two weeks, but I’d probably Issyk-Kul, meet eagle hunters, the wild scenery of Kazakhstan, recommend sticking to just two of catch a game of kok boru (polo too. Whichever countries you the ’Stans (you could cover more in played with a goat’s carcass) and choose, the best way to experience a longer three- or four-week trip). ride horses through a staggeringly the region is on a group or bespoke beautiful landscape — all turquoise tour, with itineraries focused Of these countries, I’d suggest blue lakes, snow-capped mountains on your interests. Don’t forget combining Uzbekistan with and walnut forests. Kyrgyzstan has to check gov.uk before travel. Kyrgyzstan, with a week in each. In Silk Road sites of its own, too, such wildfrontierstravel.com Uzbekistan, take in the three main as the ancient caravanserai of Tash Silk Road cities — Khiva, Bukhara JONNY BEALBY and Samarkand — where turquoise- tiled mosques, impressive 150 NATIONALGEOGR APHIC .CO.UK/ TR AVEL