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Best Trips 2014
National Geographic Traveler presents the New Year's must-see places. From Argentina to Oz, the final lineup reflects what’s authentic, culturally rich, sustainably minded—and, of course, superlative in the world of travel today.
Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rwanda
Redemption in the Rain Forest
How does a nation overcome the gut-wrenching stigma of a genocide, now two decades past, and proclaim to the world that it is a safe and surprising place to visit? For Rwanda, one strategy is to highlight a tract of unspoiled mountain rain forest rife with chimpanzees and a dozen other primates plus hundreds of species of birds—namely, Nyungwe National Park, in the southwestern corner of the country.
Nyungwe, which became a national park in 2005, exemplifies the farsightedness of a government that is channeling aid money toward preserving the best of Rwanda’s natural beauty, while bringing in tourist dollars that benefit surrounding communities. An example is the USAID-funded Nyungwe Nziza (Beautiful Nyungwe) project, which recently built a canopy walkway above a forested canyon—a thrilling perspective on the park and its residents.
Chimps are the star attraction in Nyungwe, though they’re not as readily watchable as the famed “in the mist” mountain gorillas farther north in Virunga National Park. Far easier to view are colobus monkeys. The world’s largest community of them lives in Nyungwe. The park hasn’t yet gained renown among birders, but it will. Almost 300 species abide here, including showboats like the oversize, clown-headed Ruwenzori turaco.
“Nyungwe stands out among Africa’s intact montane rain forests for its size and diversity,” says conservationist Bill Weber, who with his wife, Amy, pioneered the gorilla tourism project in Virunga. “It’s a place where people can spend several days and really get to know a rain forest, having different experiences each day.” Visitors can hike trails to peaks and waterfalls, and meet locals in Banda Village near the park entrance. Should one ask residents whether they are Tutsi or Hutu, the answer will almost certainly be “We are Rwandan.” —Robert Earle Howells
Travel Tips
When to Go: The drier months (July-October) are best for gorilla trekking, hiking, and tea plantation tours. For birding, visit December-March.
How to Get Around: International flights arrive at Kigali International Airport, about 140 miles northeast of Nyungwe National Park. Rental cars are available but not recommended. The most convenient option is to book a custom or small group tour (including airport transfers, lodging, meals, activities, and park entrance fees) with a responsible tourism operator, such as Rwanda Eco-Tours, founded and operated by native Rwandans.
Where to Stay: Serene and luxurious Nyungwe Forest Lodge is the ideal home base for exploring the park. It's surrounded on three sides by tea plantation, and on the fourth by rain forest. Opened in 2011, 12-room Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel lives up to its name. Step out onto your private balcony or sit on the restaurant’s outdoor terrace for mist-shrouded views of the national park and Lake Kivu.
Where to Eat or Drink: Kitabi Cultural Village, located at the Kitabi entrance to the national park, offers guided tours (with samples) where guests can learn about banana beer brewing, traditional milk preservation, millet grinding, and picking and processing tea leaves.
What to Buy: Shop for original indigenous crafts, such as baskets, place mats, bracelets, and wood carvings, at the Kitabi Women’s Handicraft Cooperative. Crafts are handmade using locally sourced materials, and purchases support the cooperative’s efforts to create a path out of poverty for local women.
Cultural Tip: Environmental protection is a top priority throughout Rwanda. Plastic bags are banned and will be confiscated at border crossings. Litter laws are strictly enforced in Kigali, where footpaths protect green areas. Don’t walk on the grass.
What to Read or Watch Before You Go: The 1988 movie Gorillas in the Mist, the biopic of slain primatologist Dian Fossey, was filmed on location in Rwanda and promoted global awareness of the endangered Rwandan gorillas.
Helpful Links: Rwanda Tourism and the Nyungwe Nziza (Beautiful Nyungwe) Project
Fun Fact: Nyungwe National Park’s black-and-white colobus monkeys live high in the trees, rarely touching the ground. Their name is derived from the Greek word for “mutilated” since the monkeys typically have no thumbs. This adaptation makes it easy to scramble across branches on all fours.
Insider Tip From Robert Earle Howells: At Nyungwe Forest Lodge listen closely and you can hear a distant waterfall.
Northern Territory, Australia
A New View From the Top
“Wildly and unreasonably happy.” That’s how author Nevil Shute’s heroine felt as she arrived in Darwin in his postwar classic, A Town Like Alice. Today, Darwin feels even better.
Australia’s “Top End” wears colors that sing: rust red earth, deep blue skies, and the golden eyes of watchful crocodiles in the flower-tangled waterways of Kakadu National Park.
But it’s the people here who make the place come alive.
“We are older than the Pyramids and older than the Bible. We have had no dictators. No caste systems. And no concept of money,” says Robert Mills, spokesman for the Larrakia people, on his walks around Lameroo Beach.
More than 50 Aboriginal tribes still live in the “NT,” and new government partnerships have created a respectful balance in the outback. Visitors can gaze at Rainbow Serpent rock art from one of the longest existing societies on Earth, while the artists can live on the land in peace. Frontier town Darwin sports an energetic face-lift, with an interactive history museum, a redeveloped waterfront, a deck chair cinema, and a flurry of cosmopolitan markets.
One oldie remains, though: the annual Beer Can Regatta with boats fashioned from leftover “tinnies” of Melbourne Bitter and other brews. Like everything else, the event runs on “NT time.” Not today, not tomorrow. Next Tuesday … maybe. —Abigail King
Travel Tips
When to Go: May-July (early dry season) and August-September (late dry season) are the best times to visit, with clear skies and lower humidity. March to May is rainy, yet ideal for viewing aquatic birds (such as pelicans, egrets, and herons) and water lilies and other perennial water plants. Barramundi fishing is best February to April.
How to Get Around: Fly into Alice Springs or Darwin, rent a car, and follow a designated self-drive tour. The Northern Territory encompasses 548,265 square miles (more than Texas, California, and Colorado combined), and 95 percent of the roads are paved. Download helpful travel apps, including maps, GPS-triggered audio guides, and podcasts before you set out.
Where to Stay: Exclusive Bamurru Plains offers safari-style accommodations (nine elevated, screened-in suites with private baths) in a remote bush setting (you can hear the buffalo splashing in the floodplains). The camp is located on a coastal buffalo station (a 25-minute flight from Darwin) and named for the local magpie geese, tens of thousands of which serenade guests each morning. Rates cover all meals.
Where to Eat or Drink: The Northern Territory is known for its fresh seafood—mud crabs, saltwater barramundi, and banana prawns—and Pee Wee’s at the Point in Darwin serves some of the best. Pee Wee’s is a bit out of the way in East Point Reserve, but the secluded waterfront setting adds to the allure. Sit on the covered deck and wash down some wild-caught, coconut-crusted crocodile tail with a glass of NT Draught, the pale liquid gold that fills the Northern Territory’s iconic “Darwin Stubby” 2.25-liter bottles.
What to Buy: Sales at not-for-profit Aboriginal Bush Traders in Darwin support community initiatives in indigenous communities throughout the Northern Territory. Shop for fair trade art and craftwork, such as silkscreen sea turtle prints and traditional, hand-carved didgeridoos.
Cultural Tip: When charting a self-drive tour, check to see if your travels will bring you through an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). Many IPA communities or lands require tourist permits to enter. When visiting, follow the Australian government’s IPA visitor guidelines, designed to protect and respect the privacy, environment, and cultural traditions of indigenous people.
What to Read or Watch Before You Go: Nevil Shute’s timeless World War II love story, A Town Like Alice (Vintage International, 2010), captures the essence of life in the remote and rugged Australian outback.
Helpful Links: Australia’s Outback and Tourism Top End
Fun Fact: Even if you can’t see crocodiles in a Territory waterway, they likely can see you. Northern Australia is home to approximately 150,000 saltwater crocodiles and at least 100,000 freshwater crocodiles. The Mary River has the highest concentration, with nearly 15 saltwater crocs per half mile.
Insider Tip From Abigail King: Drive to Anbangbang Gallery via the Nawurlandja lookout for a spectacular view without the crowds.
New Orleans, Louisiana
The Imperishable City
New Orleans, like Rome or hope, is eternal. Visit Louisiana’s filigreed, fleur-de-lis city twice or 20 times, and the scent will be as unchanging as the air is unmoving: a humid mix of confederate jasmine and fried shrimp, diesel fuel and desire. The French Quarter? Always rolling. At Galatoire’s, Uptown lawyers still get “liquor-store-robbing drunk” on five-hour Friday lunches of oysters Rockefeller and Pouilly-Fuissé, while farther down Bourbon Street, exhibitionists hooched-up on Hurricanes play to the balconies. The Garden District remains quieter than sleep—the whitewashed tombs of its cemetery still shelter the dead and fascinate the living. The St. Charles Avenue streetcar? Forever un-air-conditioned. Its open windows frame America’s most beautiful boulevard. Last year’s Mardi Gras beads will be there, too, dangling from the live oaks.
The music remains unrivaled. Rebirth, or maybe a Neville or two, should be playing Frenchmen Street; in the Treme a jazz band sends a second line snaking past the Creole cottages painted cantaloupe, carmine, and chartreuse.
Immutable. Imperishable. As predictable as seersucker after Easter. Yet change has arrived like Blanche DuBois, suitcase in hand and a tad dishabille. The Crescent City has always depended on the kindness of strangers, but now they’re staying. Some 20,000 in the past four years have settled along the Mississippi, revitalizing whole faubourgs, or neighborhoods. They’ve Brooklyn-ized the Bywater with Banksy murals and hipster clubs. Audubon and City Parks are replanted, and the theater marquees for the Joy and the Saenger shine again on Canal Street. The Lower Garden District now claims French antiques and molecular gastronomy. Freret Street sports fancy franks and cocktails. Mercedes-Benz got its mitts on the Superdome (or, at least, the name). Those who love this town may worry that the change will overpower the charm. Relax. What’s new will just join the party, Sazerac in hand.
“Goodness, sugar,” says Marda Burton, doyenne of the French Quarter. “New Orleans just excites the senses. It always has. It always will.” New Orleans! Storied past. Bright future. Hot mess. Here’s mud in your eye. —Andrew Nelson
Travel Tips
When to Go: A subtropical climate makes New Orleans a year-round destination. July and August, typically hot and humid, are the best months for hotel deals. Book well in advance and prepare to pay higher prices during Mardi Gras March 4, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 25-May 4.
How to Get Around: Take a private shuttle or taxi from New Orleans International Airport to your hotel. From there, walking and riding streetcars should get you most anywhere you want to go. Streetcar lines run along St. Charles Avenue, Canal Street, Carrollton Avenue, the riverfront, and Loyola Street (connecting the city’s bus and train terminal with the Canal Street line).
Where to Stay: Escape French Quarter crowds, noise, and prices at Jazz Quarters in the adjacent Treme neighborhood. The collection of historic Creole cottages, suites, and guest rooms is clustered around a leafy courtyard and was extensively renovated by the new owners in 2011. Rates include daily breakfast (Saturday’s sweet potato bread pudding soufflé is reason enough to stay a Friday night) and gated, onsite parking. Leave your car for the duration and walk to Bourbon Street, the French Market, and the riverfront.
Where to Eat or Drink: If New Orleans were a meal, it would be prepared at Antoine’s. Continuously operated since 1840 by the family of founder Antoine Alciatore, the French Quarter landmark serves French-Creole classics, including oysters Rockefeller and pommes de terre soufflés, both invented in the kitchen. There are 14 dining rooms (many decorated with memorabilia from the dignitaries and celebrities who have dined here); however, reservations are strongly recommended.
What to Buy: All things Haitian voodoo, including tarot readings by priestess Sallie Ann Glassman (appointments required), are available at Island of Salvation Botanica. Situated away from the well-trod tourist paths in the New Orleans Healing Center on St. Claude, the shop stocks herbs and spiritual supplies ranging from spirit-calling sticks (made with sticks collected from the levee) to Mexican papier–mâché skeleton masks.
Cultural Tip: Learn about the ongoing post-Katrina rebuilding efforts in the “Lower Nine” with Ninth Ward Rebirth Bike Tours. The four-hour tour helps support revitalization efforts by connecting visitors with residents, restaurants, and businesses typically left off tourist itineraries.
What to Read Before You Go: Sample New Orleans’ rich literary tradition with John Kennedy Toole’s classic, A Confederacy of Dunces (Grove Weidenfeld, 1987); The Feast of All Saints (Ballantine Books, 1986) by Anne Rice; and Nine Lives: Mystery, Magic, Death and Life in New Orleans (Spiegel & Grau, 2010) by Dan Baum.
Helpful Link: New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, NewOrleansOnline.com
Fun Fact: In New Orleans, medians are known as neutral grounds. The term is thought to have originated in the early 19th century on Canal Street, where the green space in the middle was considered neutral ground between the Creole and American neighborhoods.
Insider Tip From Andrew Nelson: The Mississippi River is often hidden behind dock walls and levees, but not at a public park called the Fly. At this park, located behind the Audubon Zoo in Uptown, you can sit and enjoy the play of sky and water.
Puglia, Italy
Where Old Ways Still Rule
Greeks and Goths, Romans and Normans, Byzantines and Venetians: All put their feet, and flags, in the heel of Italy’s boot. There, the region of Puglia stretches a strategic 250 miles along the Adriatic Sea (and 95 miles on the Ionian), making it a key connection between Italy and Europe’s east.
Today’s conquerors? The handful of cruise lines, maybe, that recently have added Puglia’s capital of Bari, once dismissed as a den of drug dealers and pickpockets, to glamorous itineraries alongside Venice and Corfu. Or the Italians who come from the north, packing Puglia’s beach-lined Salento peninsula each July and August.
But few visit Puglia beyond its most famous seaside towns, fewer still outside of the warm months. And—as proud as they are of their region’s ancient vineyards and medieval castles, cone-roofed trulli dwellings and white-sand beaches—many locals seem surprised by tourists’ attention. “If you go to Tuscany nowadays, you have to know where to go and what to do to have an off-the-beaten-path experience,” says Antonello Losito, a Bari native and the owner of tour company Southern Visions Travel. “But Puglia is always off the beaten path.” By the time the sun sets on even the busiest summer day in Bari, cruise passengers have fled back to their buffets, and locals swell the town’s narrow streets and cobblestoned piazzas in their stead. Old men clutching canes chat in the distinctive local dialect. The scent of ragù floats through open doorways, blocked from the street only by hanging blankets. Families push strollers. Laundry flaps from windows.
Will Puglia change? Probably, someday. But not yet. For now, Puglia boasts the best of southern Italy: the pace, the traditions, the beauty. Unconquered. —Amanda Ruggeri
Travel Tips
When to Go: Visit in October or November, when summer tourists are long gone and the olive harvest is in full swing. Celebrate Carnival season in Putignano, which hosts one of Europe’s oldest and longest pre-Lenten festivals (dating back to 1394 and beginning each year on December 26).
How to Get Around: Fly into Bari or Brindisi. Once in Puglia, travel the region aboard the national and semiprivate trains that run along the coast and into the interior.
Where to Stay: With its ancient tower and fortified whitewashed walls, upscale Masseria Torre Coccaro appears to be more fortress than farmhouse. Set among olive groves and almond trees, the seaside boutique hotel has 39 luxurious rooms and suites appointed with antiques. Breakfast is included, and there’s an onsite cooking school and a shuttle to the nearby beach club (and the hotel’s private yacht). Tower suites have the best Adriatic Sea views, and the Orange Grove Suite (a whitewashed hideaway built inside an ancient cave) with outdoor private terrace and pool is the most secluded.
Where to Eat or Drink: Pizzeria Enzo e Ciro is a no-frills Bari favorite for its thin-crust pies baked in a traditional wood-fired oven. Eat in (if tables aren’t available, there’s a stand-up counter at the back of the restaurant) or take out a whole classic pizza topped with buffalo mozzarella, tomato, and basil. Or choose from a lengthy list of topping options, including Nutella, bacon, and housemade stracciatella, Puglia’s own rich and tangy cheese made from strands of mozzarella soaked in heavy cream.
What to Buy: Shop for traditional Salentine crafts—cartapesta (papier-mâché) figurines, marsh-reed baskets, Leccese stone carvings, and wrought-iron candlesticks—at the city-run Mostra Permanente dell'Artigianato Salentino (Consortium of Craftsman of Lecce) in Lecce and at Terrarossa in Nardò.
Cultural Tip: When in doubt, smile and say prego. The multitasking word has multiple meanings, including “You’re welcome,” in response to grazie; “You're welcome to” or “Please do,” as an invitation to do something; “Can I help you?” or “What would you like to order?”; and “Go ahead” or “Help yourself.”
What to Read or Watch Before You Go: While not set in Puglia, E.M. Forster’s Room With a View and Giuseppe di Lampedusa’s Leopard are timeless introductions to Italian life and culture.
Helpful Link: Puglia Tourism
Fun Fact: Alberobello in southern Puglia is the city of fanciful trulli, which are clustered in a settlement dating back to the mid-14th century. The fairytale landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage site, includes several trulli restored as vacation rentals.
Insider Tip From Amanda Ruggeri: For the best of authentic Puglia, stay at a masseria, a working farmhouse that’s traditionally been fortified against attacks by pirates or Turks (a serious local issue until the 19th century!). Bonus: Masserie that are B&Bs often also serve up home-cooked meals from their own produce.
Córdoba, Argentina
For Whom the Bells Toll
The election of the first Jesuit pope has piqued interest in Jesuit history, and there are few better places to explore it than Argentina, homeland of Pope Francis I. Though the former Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio hails from Buenos Aires, the city of Córdoba, 435 miles to the northwest, contains one of the world’s richest depositories of Jesuit lore and architecture.
Once the largest Spanish city in Argentina, Córdoba still rings with the tolling from more than 80 bell towers and churches. UNESCO named the city’s historic core a World Heritage site based on its sheer density of mostly 17th-century Jesuit structures, including Argentina’s oldest university. On the other hand, many of those grand church buildings were built by African and indigenous slaves, a point of history long obscured by Argentina’s historians. A UNESCO-sponsored African heritage route is in the works, with stops in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
One of the locations can be found outside Córdoba, at a well-preserved former ranch town established by the Jesuits called Alta Gracia—which also happens to be where another of Argentina’s most famous sons, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, lived in his younger days. —Michael Luongo
Travel Tips
When to Go: Fall (March-May) and spring (September-November) are the best times to visit. In fall, days are generally clear with average high temperatures in the 60s and 70s. In spring, humidity, rainfall, and temperatures increase, with average highs in the 80s.
How to Get Around: The international airport is located about nine miles north of Córdoba. If staying in the city, take a taxi to your hotel, then walk or use public buses (purchase tokens in advance at kiosks) to visit old city historic sites centered on Plaza San Martín. Rent a car for travel outside Córdoba.
Where to Stay: For an upscale gaucho experience, drive 45 minutes north of the city to the exclusive El Colibri Estancia de Charme. The 420-acre Relais & Chateaux ranch has nine individually styled guest rooms (hand-painted wall designs, wood-burning fireplaces), and offers polo lessons and gaucho-led horseback rides through the countryside.
Where to Eat or Drink: Bring your appetite and cash (no credit cards accepted) to El Faro de Garrido, a traditional Argentine parrilla (steak house) where barbecue beef and kid goat are served sizzling off the grill. Follow dinner with Argentina’s go-to mixed drink, Fernet con Cola. The somewhat medicinal Fernet-Branca and Coca-Cola blend is an acquired taste, purported by many to be a remedy for hangovers.
What to Buy: On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, local artists set up stalls in Paseo de Las Artes to sell ceramics, jewelry, paintings, and other original pieces at the city’s most renowned arts and crafts market.
Cultural Tip: Pay in cash (Argentine pesos and, in many tourist areas, U.S. dollars) to avoid credit card surcharges. ATMs are readily available in Córdoba.
What to Read or Watch Before You Go: Labyrinths (New Directions, 2007) is a representative selection of classics by Argentine short story writer, poet, and essayist Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986).
Helpful Links: Córdoba Tourism and Argentina Tourism
Fun Fact: The Jesuits of Córdoba planted Argentina’s first vineyards in the 16th century. In addition to supplying the grapes needed to produce sacramental wine, the orchards (along with the Jesuits' ranches and farms) helped generate the funds to build churches, university buildings, and residences.
Insider Tip From Michael Luongo: Borello Travel has a Following in the Footsteps of Pope Francis tour encompassing Buenos Aires and Cordoba. Owner Sandra Borello recommends the 14-room Azur Real Boutique Hotel in a renovated turn-of-the-last-century structure in the heart of the colonial district, a few streets from the Jesuit Block. Rooms from $120 (US).
Cabo Verde
Islands of Soulful Song
“There in the sky you are a star / There in the sea you are a sandy seafloor / Poor country full of love,” sang Cesária Évora of her homeland, the West African island nation of Cabo Verde. In this ten-island archipelago, strong Atlantic winds carry songs filled with sodade, a bittersweet longing at the core of Cabo Verdean culture. Melancholy marks the morna ballads that speak of islanders who left, many with whaling ships that took an entire generation across the ocean. So with the songs of the rainha dos pés descalços, or “barefoot diva” (Évora graced many a world stage shoeless), Cabo Verde came into the spotlight.
It still feels like an uncharted hideaway, where tourism is nascent and blissfully small scale. That elusive feeling of discovery awaits on the more far-out islands, reachable only by boat, like the tiny flyspeck of Brava and the vertical Santo Antão with its lush valleys, pine ridges, and stark canyons.
Even on more well trodden islands, such as sand dune–filled Boa Vista, pristine pockets hide: Winds and sunshine power the 12-room Spinguera, an abandoned fishing village turned ecolodge, its island-salvage decor curated by the Italian artist owner. On dramatic Fogo, with a giant cinder-clad volcano at its heart, a pair of hamlets perch inside Chã das Caldeiras, the ancient crater where residents grow coffee and grapes, and hikers begin the ascent to the Pico do Fogo volcano.
“In this busy century, Cabo Verde still has places of absolute stillness,” says Praia-based photographer and filmmaker César Schofield Cardoso, “and a force that invites pilgrimage and meditation.” —Anja Mutić
Travel Tips
When to Go: Cabo Verde is a year-round destination, but rain is more likely August to October. September to June is prime surfing season along the southern tip of Sal, one of the archipelago’s sandy, eastern islands.
How to Get Around: International airports are located on the islands of Sal, Santiago, Boa Vista, and São Vicente (also serving Santo Antão). Taxis and public minibuses are available on most islands. Travel between islands generally is either by ferry or propeller planes.
Where to Stay: On Boa Vista, the 12-room Spinguera ecolodge is as good as it gets if getting away from it all is your objective. The remote cluster of rustic, stone cottages is separated from the ocean by expansive, wild dunes. Meals are included, as is use of the beach hammocks, where you can relax and watch sea turtles swim by.
Where to Eat or Drink: Surfing hub Santa Maria has the largest concentration of restaurants. Menu options range from plates of chicken curry and rice at the Tam Tam Bar (owned by an Irish couple) to upscale seafood and tapas dishes (seafood paella, tartar salmon, ceviche) at Geko Gourmet, opened in 2013. At traditional Cabo Verde restaurants like the bare-bones Blue Marlin on Boa Vista, try catchupa, a popular slow-simmered stew of corn, beans, and vegetables.
What to Buy: Shop for local art and crafts, including woodcarvings, colorful batiks, and jewelry, in Santa Maria at Surf ‘N Soul. Boa Vista artisans craft necklaces and bracelets incorporating found objects from the island, including bones, shells, and beads. Other traditional Cabo Verde crafts to look for are pottery, tapestries, and woven baskets.
Cultural Tip: Although counterfeit and pirated goods are openly displayed in many street markets, buying these items is illegal under Cabo Verde and U.S. laws.
What to Listen to Before You Go: Miss Perfumado is the 1992 album that transformed Cesária Évora into an international world-music star.
Helpful Links: Cabo Verde and Archipelago Choice
Fun Fact: Portuguese is the official language, but locals speak Crioulo (Portuguese Creole), a Portuguese-West African-French blend originating in the slave-trading era. Although the Alupec (Unified Alphabet for the Cabo Verdean Language) was established in 1994, Crioulo remains a spoken language only.
Insider Fact From Anja Mutić: Don’t miss a cup of artisanal coffee at Dja'r Fogo in Fogo’s capital of São Filipe, which has been grown on the owner’s nearby coffee plantation since 1874; it’s still roasted and packaged right there at the art gallery-café.
Ranthambore National Park, India
Eyeing the Tigers in Rajasthan
On the bumpy road to Ranthambore National Park, warden Balendu Singh says, “It takes some luck to see a tiger.”
Not long after, he stops on the verge of a dusty trail inside the 151-square-mile reserve. Ensconced in tall grass, a male tiger, T-25, lollygags on his back in the sun, as playful as a house cat. When two chubby cubs emerge, wrestling, rolling, the bigger cat bats them away. Singh lifts his camera, recording it all. As the first male tiger known to raise cubs orphaned by their mother, T-25 is making history.
Indeed, things have changed since this temple-laden, lake-mottled, brushy expanse of land in central India served as the royal hunting ground for the maharajas of Jaipur. Back in the day, even Prince Philip shot a tiger here for sport. But since 1973, this wildlife-rich terrain has been a protected area and tiger reserve. Abundant with monkeys, leopards, wild boars, foxes, macaques, crocodiles, and birds, Ranthambore’s exotic landscape—punctuated by a crumbling, ancient fort—evokes scenes from a Rudyard Kipling tale. Here roam 24 glorious adult tigers, and the population continues to grow. “We’ve welcomed 26 cubs in the last two years,” says Singh, who blames deforestation and poaching for the decimation of India’s once plentiful tiger population. With conservation in mind, the park limits the number of visitors. Yes, one has to be lucky to glimpse a tiger, but Ranthambore makes its own luck. —Becca Hensley
Travel Tips
When to Go: Ranthambore National Park is open to visitors October 1-June 30. Daily opening and closing times vary seasonally. Morning visits are best since animals typically are more active and visible.
How to Get Around: Culturally entrenched outfitters, like luxury Micato Safaris, can organize custom itineraries that include a stop in Ranthambore. Many hotels in Jaipur (where the closest airport to the park is located) can also arrange day trips to the park for guests. The number of daily park visitors is limited, so make safari reservations when booking accommodations.
Where to Stay: Based on the edge of the park, opulent Oberoi Vanyavilas oozes sense of place: luxury guest “tents” with polished wood floors, embroidered canopies, and private walled gardens; two resident elephants; an onsite naturalist; and an elegant dining room decorated with frescoes of flowers and animals. Equally posh are the Deluxe Allure Suites (each with private, stone-walled courtyard and outdoor fireplace) at Sawai Madhopur Lodge in Ranthambore. The Vivanta by Taj brand hotel includes 12 acres of gardens and the property’s original art deco-style lodge building.
Where to Eat or Drink: Make and taste authentic Rajasthan specialties, such as daal baati (mixed lentils and hard, unleavened wheat rolls), choorma (wheat, doughnut hole-like sweet), and govin ghatte (fried dumplings stuffed with nuts), at Sushma’s Cooking Classes in Udaipur.
What to Buy: Rajasthan has a rich arts and craft tradition (don’t leave without purchasing at least one kathputli—the region’s traditional wood and cloth string puppet); however, the items aggressively hawked in the village outside the national park entrance typically aren’t the best quality. If possible, wait to purchase handcrafted souvenirs like salwar kameez (traditional pajama-like pants and tunic top), quilts, and turquoise and silver jewelry, at Govind Rajasthali Cottage Industries in Jaipur, where the no-pressure sales environment is as refreshing as the complimentary chai.
Cultural Tip: Touring can be stressful if you’re not used to haggling, persistent vendors, and being dogged by enterprising “guides” who offer (for a fee) to negotiate the best deals and lead you through tourist sites. When shopping, predetermine how much you're willing to spend on any item, and be willing to walk away.
What to Read or Watch Before You Go: Salman Rushdie’s Booker Prize-winning Midnight's Children (Random House, 2006) and E.M. Forster’s 1924 classic, A Passage to India (Mariner Books, 1965), both evoke a powerful sense of place, yet are vastly different takes on India.
Helpful Links: Rajasthan Wildlife and Incredible India
Fun Fact: The national park is named for and includes Ranthambore Fort, founded in 944 and open to the public. Inside the fortress are three 12th- and 13th-century Hindu temples built with pale-red stone from Karauli in eastern Rajasthan.
Insider Tip From Becca Hensley: Tigers, leopards, and jaguars can often be found amid the fort complex, making for a truly one of a kind setting.
Arbil, Iraq
Defying Middle East Stereotypes
One of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, Arbil will make you forget everything you’ve heard about Iraq. The political capital of Kurdistan in northern Iraq is largely a world apart from the strife to its south. Visitors bypass Baghdad, arriving into Arbil’s new airport via flights from Vienna, Amman, and Istanbul. Booming with oil money, Arbil—known as Hawler to Kurds—has even earned the designation Capital for Arab Tourism for 2014.
A citadel, the basic structure of which is at least 6,000 years old, looms at the city’s historic center, surrounded by renovated Ottoman palaces and labyrinthine bazaars selling everything from traditional carpets to kitchen supplies. Though the city was marred by deadly violence in 2013, many consider it a singular occurrence, with construction continuing on high-rises, including a Marriott hotel, that overlook traffic-clogged boulevards. In the Ankawa neighborhood, one of the Middle East’s largest Christian enclaves, an imposing ziggurat-style church pays homage to the region’s Babylonian past. Restaurants serve wine and regional fare like kefta (a kind of kebab) and biryani. Outside the city, the landscape unfolds with mountains rich with waterfalls, lake resorts, and snowy winter ski trails. Australian Shannon Skerritt, founder of travel company Kurdistan Adventures, says he tells his Western clients, “Kurdistan is really the other Iraq. It’s not what you see on the news.” —Michael Luongo
Travel Tips
When to Go: Spring and fall are the best times to visit with clear skies and mild temperatures (typically between 65 and 70 degrees). Temperatures can be significantly cooler in the mountains, however, so pack accordingly if your itinerary includes hiking or touring outside the city.
How to Get Around: Lufthansa operates direct flights to Arbil from Frankfurt and Vienna. Independent travel within Iraqi Kurdistan is safe, but first-time visitors may appreciate the convenience and local expertise of a small-group tour operator like Kurdistan Adventures or Wild Frontiers Travel. Both offer fully escorted tours and include airport transfers, local transportation via private vehicles, and English-speaking drivers and guides.
Where to Stay: The city’s newer hotels are predominantly international big-box brands catering to business travelers. For more character (the entrance is guarded by white lion statues with tongues that light up red at night) and convenience—only a 10-15 minute walk to the bazaar and citadel—choose the independently owned Chwar Chra Hotel. The room décor is a bit dated, but there’s free Wi-Fi and satellite TV and an outdoor garden bar where you can relax at day’s end with a glass of arak, a clear, aniseed-flavored alcohol mixed with water and ice.
Where to Eat or Drink: At the aptly named local favorite Hawler try the barbequed fish, a Kurdish specialty. Abu Shahab started as a street kebab stand in 1970 and is now a brightly lit, two-story complex housing a coffee shop, supermarket, and restaurant serving founder Shahab’s authentic Kurdish dishes, such as lamb quozi—jasmine rice cooked with meat and special spices and topped with lamb shanks and mixed nuts.
What to Buy: At the Kurdish Textile Museum located inside the citadel, young women learn weaving, felt-making, and embroidering from older mentors committed to preserving the artistic cultural traditions of Kurdish nomadic communities. Completed items, such as ranku chokhel (traditional cloth woven from goat hair) and thick, multicolored rugs woven with carpet hooks, are displayed in the museum and available for purchase in the gift shop.
Cultural Tip: “Go with the flow,” says Kurdistan Adventures founder Skerritt. “It's common to be approached for a chat or offered tea. You may even be invited for a meal or to a Kurdish picnic with traditional dancing.”
What to Read or Watch Before You Go: A Thousand Sighs, A Thousand Revolts (Random House, 2005) tells the stories of the people, places, and customs that writer Christiane Bird encounters on her travels throughout Iraqi Kurdistan.
Helpful Links: Kurdistan Adventures and Wild Frontiers
Fun Fact: According to UNESCO, Arbil’s Citadel Town is believed to be the world’s oldest continuously inhabited settlement, dating back 7,000 years or more. Though its buildings have been rebuilt over the centuries, the inner network of pedestrian alleyways remains virtually unchanged.
Insider Tip From Michael Luongo: The airport entry stamp is all you need because unlike the complicated process for southern Iraq, there’s no visa process for Kurdistan as long as your visit lasts up to ten days.
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Balkans’ Urban Phoenix
Franz Ferdinand’s counselors urged him not to go to Sarajevo. He didn’t listen. Like many before and after him, the Austro-Hungarian archduke misread the region and underestimated its people. The gunshots fired a century ago—on June 28, 1914—in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina took his life and lit the fuse for World War I.
The world irrevocably changed that day. But Sarajevo, which has endured three devastating wars and rebuilt under six national flags in the century since, still retains much of its character. Thick coffee cooked in copper pots perfumes the air in Bašcˇaršija, the Ottoman-era bazaar. Silversmiths and rug merchants haggle and banter on the cobbled streets. Secessionist buildings, erected during the archduke’s empire, sit alongside minarets punctuating the skyline. And obelisk Muslim headstones lean this way and that on patches of grass scattered between the oldest mahalas (neighborhoods).
Called “the world’s most dangerous city” during the war of the 1990s, Sarajevo is now among Europe’s safest capitals. Visitors—no longer just postwar gawkers—stroll busy avenues to historic sites wedged between Muslim, Jewish, and Christian places of worship. The renowned Sarajevo Film Festival is held every summer. Tourists and locals alike, led by in-the-know guides, are rediscovering pristine hiking trails in the surrounding Dinaric Alps.
Sarajevo’s reemergence is perhaps best symbolized by the National Library’s long-awaited reconstruction. Destroyed, along with some two million books, in 1992, the pseudo-Moorish landmark is scheduled to reopen as Sarajevo’s Town Hall (its original purpose in 1896) in time for the commemoration of Franz Ferdinand’s assassination. “In 2014 the eyes of the entire world will be directed at Sarajevo,” says Mayor Ivo Komšić. “This time not as a tragedy but as something entirely new.” —Alex Crevar
Travel Tips
When to Go: Spring, summer, and fall (April-October) are generally clear and comfortable. In July, the hottest month, average temperatures are only about 70°F. Downhill skiing is available in winter at Mount Jahorina Ski Resort, which hosted 1984 Winter Olympic events.
How to Get Around: Public transportation (tram, trolleybus, and bus), taxis, and walking are the most convenient ways to navigate the city. Bus and train routes connect Sarajevo to other destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During ski season, buses connect Sarajevo to Mount Jahorina.
Where to Stay: The 186-room Hotel Bristol Sarajevo is a 12-story, luxury hotel located about five minutes from the Old City via taxi or the hotel’s free shuttle. There’s an indoor swimming pool, free underground parking, and a mini-fridge stocked daily with free soda, juices, and water. Boutique Hotel Michele offers less luxury, yet more charm. The six apartments and two spacious guest rooms are appointed with antique furnishings. Room 43 has skylights, a wood-beam ceiling, and city views.
Where to Eat or Drink: Sarajevo’s ubiquitous street food is pita, in Bosnia a stuffed, coiled phyllo dough pie. The filling determines the name you’ll see on the menu, such as burek (ground meat and onions), krompirisu (potato), and zeljanica (spinach and cheese). Sample some at tiny Old City pita shops like Buregdžinica Bosna and Buregdžinica Sac.
What to Buy: Coppersmithing is one of Sarajevo’s oldest craft traditions, dating back to 1489. Shop for traditional copper, tin-plated, and metal items like coffee pots, coffee serving sets, plates, and cups in the tidy workshops linking narrow Kazandžiluk (Coppersmiths Street).
Cultural Tip: Drinking kafa (coffee) in Sarajevo isn’t done on the fly. Seek out a kafić (café) that serves traditional Bosnian coffee cooked in a copper pot called a džezva (pronounced jez-vah) and served with Turkish delight. Then relax and enjoy, but make sure to ask your waiter how to properly spoon the froth and when to dip the sugar cube.
What to Read or Watch Before You Go: Inspired by a true story, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks's epic People of the Book traces the survival story of the Sarajevo Haggadah, the famed Hebrew illuminated manuscript.
Helpful Link: Tourism Association of Sarajevo Canton
Fun Fact: From Sarajevo, it’s only about a 20-minute public bus ride to the village of Nahorevo, starting point for hikes to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s biggest waterfall, 322-foot-high Skakavac. Green Visions’ local, English-speaking guides lead day hikes along a mountain road to the top of the waterfall and down to the base.
Insider Tip From Alex Crevar: Though mountaineering around Sarajevo, which hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, is more popular every year, land mines from the 1990s war are still a concern. Hiring a guide who knows where and where not to trek, like those from Green Visions, is a must.
Cathar Country, France
Rebellion and Refinement
“We are all Cathars here,” declares an art student, sketching amid the aromatic blossoms and Romanesque arcades of Albi’s St.-Salvi Cloister. He refers to the ascetic, heretical Christian sect that stirred up southwest France in the 12th and 13th centuries. (Some of its followers believed in reincarnation.) Once entrenched in today’s Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon regions, the Cathars were suppressed by the medieval Catholic Church in a series of fierce battles that led to their virtual elimination. Yet their rebellious spirit lives on amid lofty moldering castles, secret trails, and rolling hills fragrant with rosemary, juniper, thyme, and orchids.
Visitors beguiled by Cathar lore should visit the fortress of Montségur or Château de Peyrepertuse, but base themselves in pink-stoned Albi on the River Tarn. In this UNESCO World Heritage site and former Cathar stronghold, street signs point the way in both French and the old Occitan language. David Enjalran’s Michelin-starred restaurant, L’Esprit du Vin, is a bargain-hunting foodie’s dream stop—a daily-changing, multicourse lunch is $33. The birthplace of Toulouse-Lautrec, Albi pays homage to the artist at the Berbie Palace, which houses the largest collection of his work in the world. Beyond the town, rocky hiking paths splay out in all directions, arteries of history that keep alive the region’s wild lore. —Becca Hensley
Travel Tips
When to Go: With clear skies and temperatures in the 70s and 80s, May-June and September-October typically are the best months for outdoor touring. July and August are sunny but hot (80s and 90s). The city’s July 14 Bastille Day celebration features a fireworks show over the river.
How to Get Around: Renting a car at the airport in Rodez is the most convenient way to explore the region.
Where to Stay: Secluded La Réserve is a seasonal (open May-October) Relais & Châteaux property located in the countryside just outside of Albi. The 22 individually styled rooms (French country, art nouveau, ultramodern) are split between two guest lodges on the River Tarn. All rooms have either a balcony or terrace with river or garden views. Rooms in the newer building (away from the outdoor pool) are the most private.
Where to Eat or Drink: The prix fixe lunch (about $36) in the vaulted brick-cellar restaurant L'Esprit du Vin in Albi is a bargain-hunting foodie's dream stop. The multicourse menu features such items as crispy shrimp with a creamy lobster and coconut sauce, beef's cheek crépinette sausages, Vitelotte purple potatoes with a sangria beef sauce, and Mirabelle plums with gingerbread ice cream. The menu changes daily, inspired by what’s fresh at the market.
What to Buy: L’Artisan Pastellier produces and sells pastels, watercolors, soaps, clothing, scarves, cosmetics, and pillows in regional heritage hues. The colors are created using natural plant and vegetable dyes, including woad, an herb that's the source of the region’s signature shade of blue. In the old city, visit the St.-Salvi district, once the center of medieval commerce and still home to Albi’s bustling covered market, completed in 1905, where locals shop for fresh produce, meats, and cheeses.
Cultural Tip: Linger over lunch, since restaurants typically are the only businesses open between noon and 2 p.m.
What to Read or Watch Before You Go: British scholar R.I. Moore’s War on Heresy (Belknap Press, 2012) is a provocative, suspenseful reexamination of Catharism and the history of heresy.
Helpful Links: Aude Pays Cathare Tourism and Albi Tourism
Fun Fact: In the 15th and 16th centuries, a single field crop, Occitan woad, funded the construction of Renaissance mansions (hotels) throughout the “blue triangle” of Albi-Toulouse-Carcassonne. The blue dye produced by woad made traders extremely wealthy, fueling the ostentatious building boom.
Insider Tip From Becca Hensley: Avoid Mondays at museums, many restaurants, and some shops, which are closed on that day.
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