Wanderlust 11 2020

100 Pages·2020·41.47 MB·English

November2020 wanderlust.co.uk £4.95

A MALTESE MEANDER
Exploring Gozo at your own pace
BRECON BEACONS
A short break in wild Wales
OFF-BEAT AMSTERDAM
Capital delights. No crowds

TRAVEL MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR WINNER 2020

BRAVE
NEW
WORLD

Your travels
made possible

Travel Well

TAKING
THE TILLER

We try a UK
narrowboating
adventure

Why the old traditions are our new normal

wanderlust.co.uk November 2020 5
The Original Travel Magazine, Est. 1993

Whennotinvestigatingtravelbubbles
for us (p62), Paul Bloomfield’s hiking
around his beloved south-west.

The exact moment that our digital
Iceland event chattee William Gray
realised that he wasn’t really there.

UPFRONT
THIS ISSUE

Behindthescenes
thismonth...

Associate Editor Sarah gets into the
spirit of things at Gold Hill in Dorset
– site of the classic Hovis advert.

“Sowho’satthetiller?”Wanderlust’s
Global Technology Director Simon
gives narrowboating a spin (p52).

Welcome…

Cover image:ClickAlps/ AWL Images Ltd – Fushimi Inari shrine, Torii gates,Kyoto,Japan,Asia Thispage: Seamus Ryan; Shutterstock

Bubblesin
Patagonia
Smallgrouptours
maybetheway
forwardforthe
travel industry

4

things
welearnt
thismonth...
1

Facemasks are not
a new invention –
Japan was using an
equivalent way back in
the 1600s (p49)
2

The island of Gozo
may be small, but
neolithic temples
were built here that date
back far further than
Stonehenge (p76)
3

Forget Rio - the
Brecon Beacons
National Park has
its own Sugar Loaf
Mountain (p93)
4

Canal bridges are
numbered, making
a useful navigation
aid when travelling by
boat (p52)

NOTE

While we try to ensure

the information in

Wanderlust is up to date
at the time of going to
press, please always

doublecheck especially
regarding country entry
requirements.

What weird times. From week to week the story
changes on where we can visit and when.
Fortunately, some types of trip do lend
themselves to travel in the time of COVID-19.
Canal boat hire companies are reporting
their busiest ever couple of months and, having had a try
(p52), I can thoroughly recommend it. We have taken a look at
the other types of trip that are proving safe and popular too,
as and when we can visit (p62).
Meanwhile, my wish list for next year is growing too. I’ve been
to Japan before but digesting our Japan Trip Planner (p36)
has made me realise just how much I want to back and explore
further. Similarly, I itch to revisit Galle (p91) – and how have I not
been to lovely Gozo (p76) yet?
I hate to mention the Christmas word, but we do have the
perfect solution for you – see page 50 for details of how you can
get our soon to be published Travel Quiz book when you take
out a gift. Or, if you’re not already a subscriber and want to give us
a try, take advantage of our special 3-issue trial (p6).

Happy reading and dreaming,

Lyn Hughes
Editor-In-Chief/Co-founder

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HISTORICTURKEY

Fresh spins on ancient classics

SLOVAKIA&SLOVENIA

Europe’s buzz destinations face off

THAILAND

Headnorthtothehilltribes

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Enjoying glaciers,

whales and splendid
isolation in Iceland

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Contributors

Wanderlustisbroughttolifebypeoplefromallovertheplanet.Herearesomeofthewritersand
guides who’ve helped us to create this new issue – plus their encounters with kind strangers

UPFRONT
THIS ISSUE

Graeme Green
Britishbreak
After 15 years writing
aboutandphotographing
spectacular places –
including the Brecon
Beacons on p93 –
Graeme has founded
the New Big 5 project
(newbig5.com), an
international wildlife
conservation initiative.
Has he experienced the
kindness of strangers?
“I asked for directions
from a security guard in
Japan who walked 10
minutes with me to show
me where I needed to go.”

Alison Monroe
Writingcompwinner
The joint winner of our
‘kindness of strangers’
travelwritingcompetition,
Alice loves off-the-
beaten-track adventures
– she’s climbed a volcano
and danced with the
Maasai – and then
relating them to
her pupils at assemblies
during her day job:
she’s a headmistress at
a Kent primary school.
Has she experienced
the kindness of
strangers? “Read all
about it on p28.“

RobGoss
Japantripplanner
Tokyo-based writer Rob
has been covering Japan
for 15 years. His recent
travels saw him head to
Yamagata, to train with
mountain ascetics, and
Wakayama, to meet the
cat that saved a railway
frombankruptcy.Readhis
guide to Japan on p36.
Has he experienced the
kindness of strangers?
“AftervisitingSadoIsland’s
rice terraces at dawn,
we met a fisherman who
invited us for breakfast
with his family.”

DrEireannMarshall
Theknowledge
The 2019 Top History &
Culture Guide of the Year
at the Wanderlust World
Guide Awards has been
guiding specialist tours
throughout Europe and
Africa for more than
20 years. She shares
her tips on p97.
Has she experienced
the kindness of
strangers? “I will never
forget two elderly men in
Kairouan who showed me
around their souk in order
to encourage tourists to
return to their city.”

PaulBloomfield
The future of travel
A life of hiking, cycling
and kayaking around the
world has helped Paul to
engagewithdestinationsin
healthy,free-rangefashion.
That’s vital now that we’re
lookingtotravelin‘bubbles’
– see how your next big
trip could look on p62.
Has he experienced the
kindness of strangers?
“The guy who put me
on the right minibus to
Shwedagon Paya, Yangon,
and also, unbeknown to
me, paid my fare. That’s
the Burmese for you...”

Matthew Figg
Writingcompwinner
When he’s not entering
– and winning – travel
writing competitions,
you’ll find airline industry
professional Matthew
halfway up a mountain,
or exploring the
lesser-known corners
of Europe and beyond.
He has a particular
interest in post-Soviet
states and overland
travel – especially via
night train.
Has he experienced the
kindness of strangers?
“Read all about it on p28.”

8 wanderlust.co.uk November 2020

wanderlust.co.uk

Shutterstock; Dreamstime

This month on

Greatesttravelexperiences
The definitive travel wish list, as chosen
by the people most in the know – the
incredible Wanderlust readers.
wanderlust.co.uk/
GreatestTravelExperiences

WIN!

Win amazing trips with

our exclusive online

competitions at
wanderlust.co.uk/
competitions

UK’sbestautumnwalks
Our pick of the top UK walks for rustic hues, most of
them short enough for a sunny autumnal afternoon…
wanderlust.co.uk/AutumnWalks

Mosthauntedplaces
From ghostly castles to paranormal pubs,
these ‘possessed’ destinations are sure to
spook the most sceptical of travellers...
Wanderlust.co.uk/MostHauntedPlaces

DiscoverAzores
Rich in untamed beauty, warm hospitality,
and everything from whale-watching to
scuba diving, the Azores is the ultimate
escape from COVID-19-era worries.
Wanderlust.co.uk/VisitAzores

Surreallandscapesquiz
These awe-inspiring natural wonders
could be from another planet – but do
you know your red rivers from your eerie
caves? Try your luck with our quiz.
Wanderlust.co.uk/SurrealLandscapes

wanderlust.co.uk November 2020 9

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