AWARD

WINNING!
Best New
WINTER 2016 Magazine
lonelyplanet.com

BEST
IN
TRAVEL
2017 ’s must-see destinations

Including
Finland, for
log cabin
stays beneath
the northern
lights

LOS ANGELES
DISCOVERIES ON A
CANADA
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TRIP ALONG SUNSET P OLAR BEARS IN beyond the
BOULEVARD THE WILD NORTH beaches
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 Editor’s
Note
The northern lights have long
left their iridescent trace on my
imagination. They have formed the back-
drop to some of the greatest feats of exploration,
from appearing in Victorian adventurers’ tales of
spearing across the Arctic to Commander Scott
Kelly’s haunting photos beamed to Instagram
from the International Space Station.
Throughout 20 years of travel as a writer and
the past eight years editing magazines for Lonely Planet, this cosmic spectacle
has remained at the very pinnacle of my bucket list. And yet, my first personal
acquaintance with it occurred with less drama. I was in a hotel parking lot at
3 a.m., with toes gently freezing, as I willed the aurora borealis to unfold. An
argument followed between a group of fellow travelers about whether they
had just found what they were looking for, after someone took a long expo-
sure photograph and noticed a greenish tinge behind a thick bank of cloud.
Could we tick this experience off and head to bed?
For those who stuck around, melancholy shifted to awe. The clouds even-
tually parted and a shimmering chain of greens, blues and pinks emerged, like
an immense Chinese dragon dancing through the night sky.
This issue’s cover features the northern lights alongside the most perfect
log cabin and, if you look closely, a husky beckoning us inside. Our cover
location is Finland (see p. 10 and p. 48), a winning country in Lonely Planet’s
Best in Travel, our annual distillation of 43 years of heritage and expertise
around the world that reveals the best places to travel to in the year ahead.
Spoiler alert: our overall Best in Travel winning destination this year is
Canada, a nation marking, in ebullient spirits, the 150th anniversary of its
confederation. Here, too, you can expect to celebrate winter in the company
of huskies and the northern lights, as a fire blazes in the hearth of your cabin.
We expand on our coverage of Best in Travel winning destinations with
this issue’s feature stories. Long-standing Lonely Planet writer Marcel Ther-
oux carries us to Churchill, Manitoba, in Canada’s Arctic northeast, for
encounters with polar bears from the safety of a Tundra Buggy (p. 58). Mean-
while third-generation Angeleno Adam Skolnick takes an epic 26-mile walk
along Los Angeles’s Sunset Boulevard (p. 68), his measured pace revealing
diverse flavors and surprises within a city many of us believe we know so well.

Peter Grunert, Group Editor

@peter_grunert
NORTHERN LIGHTS PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

@petervg73

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 1

NO 50 A getaway should actually
get you away.

LOVERS KEY STATE PARK, FORT MYERS BEACH, FL

Islandology is our way of life. It’s forgetting about phones and recharging
your body for a change. Because simple pleasures like putting your toes in
the sand or listening to the waves shouldn’t be interrupted.
Plan your trip at FortMyers-Sanibel.com
 contents Winter 2016 Volume 2 / Number 4

BEST IN TRAVEL 2017

p. 46 p. 58 p. 68 p. 76
Winning A Close Encounter Walking Sunset A Glimpse of
Destinations with Polar Bears Boulevard Myanmar
It’s here! Our annual list Get an up-close look at See the City of Angels in Journey from Mandalay
of the 10 best countries, polar bears in remote a new light during a day’s to the Bagan plains to see
regions and cities to visit Churchill, Canada, hike along one of ancient temples, then
in the coming year. You where the bears are both America’s most iconic explore hill country
can start planning now. a threat and a livelihood. city streets. villages around Kalaw.

// Pictured: The Hollywood

Walk of Fame extends
from Hollywood Boulevard
down to Sunset Boulevard.
SIMON URWIN

All prices correct at press time. Prices for hotel rooms are for double, en suite rooms in low
season, unless otherwise stated. Flight prices are for the least expensive round-trip ticket.
Fall 2016 / LONELY PLANET 3
contents

LUKE BEARD
Globetrotter p. 9 Easy Trips p. 37 // Above: The Coachman Hotel
5 Spots / Gorilla season in Rwanda, Junkanoo in the Bahamas, Ideas for quick winter getaways to Park City, the U.S. in South Lake Tahoe, featured in
and three other timely events you need to know about now. Virgin Islands, New Orleans and more. one of our Easy Trips.

Travel Icon / The Taj Mahal. Great Escape p. 83 Cover Photo // The northern
Among nature and heritage towns in the Dominican Republic. lights over Finland’s Lemmenjoki
10 New Ways / Unexpected ways to experience Paris.
Postcards p. 95 National Park; Photo by
Like That ? Try This / Popular travel destinations vs. under- Philip Lee Harvey
Reader photos, including Indonesia and Santa Barbara.
the-radar locations.
Mini Guides p. 98
What to Eat in Brooklyn / Acclaimed chef Dale Talde shares
Florence / Experience the Tuscany region’s capital on a budget.
his favorites in the borough.
Costa Rica / Outdoor activities in a tropical paradise.
Pack & Play / Essential cycling gear for an urban jaunt and
an epic tour. Chicago / A night out in the Windy City.
The Photo Story / Women of Mongolia. London / Visit some of the world’s greatest art museums.
Amazing Places / Hotels in converted spaces. Atlanta / History, museums and dining for a weekend visit.
Inside Knowledge / Stay fit while traveling. South Africa / Vineyards within a day’s drive of Cape Town.

DESTINATION
INDEX
AUSTRALIA ETHIOPIA / 51 Pistoia / 56 PERU UNITED KINGDOM LOUISIANA
South Australia / 53 FINLAND / 48 JAMAICA / 16 Choquequirao / 52 London / 105 New Orleans / 38
Tasmania / 11 Rovaniemi / 10 MACEDONIA PORTUGAL North Wales / 52 NEW YORK
THE BAHAMAS FRANCE Ohrid / 56 The Azores / 52 UNITED STATES Brooklyn / 18
Nassau / 11 Bordeaux / 55 MALAYSIA Lisbon / 57 CALIFORNIA New York City / 28
BERMUDA / 49 Paris / 14 Perak / 54 RUSSIA Joshua Tree / 112 OREGON
BRAZIL FRENCH POLYNESIA THE MARSHALL Moscow / 57 Los Angeles / 55, 68, 112 Eugene / 11
Rio de Janeiro / 30 Tahiti / 16 ISLANDS / 16 RWANDA / 11 San Francisco / 22 Portland / 57
CANADA / 47 The Tuamotus / 54 MARTINIQUE / 16 SLOVENIA / 16 Santa Barbara / 97 TENNESSEE
Churchill / 58 INDIA MEXICO SOUTH AFRICA / 16 South Lake Tahoe / 44 Natchez Trace Parkway / 23
CHILE Jaipur / 112 Mérida / 56 Cape Town / 55, 109 GEORGIA TEXAS
Aysén / 53 INDONESIA MONGOLIA / 26, 49 SOUTH KOREA Atlanta / 107 San Antonio / 29
COLOMBIA / 48 Solo / 96 MYANMAR / 51, 76 Seoul / 56 Coastal Georgia / 54 U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
COSTA RICA / 101 IRELAND NEPAL / 49 SWAZILAND / 16 ILLINOIS St. John / 40
CURAÇAO / 42 The Skellig Ring / 54 NEW ZEALAND SWITZERLAND / 16 Chicago / 103 UTAH
DOMINICA / 48, 95 ITALY Taranaki / 52 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES KENTUCKY Park City / 41
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC / 83 Florence / 99 OMAN / 50 Abu Dhabi / 96 Lexington / 28
 OUR STORY
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LOVE TO MEET OTHERS,
UNWIND AND ENJOY
THE TASTES OF TRAVEL

 LOCAL CULINARY EXPERIENCES

 AUTHENTIC SETTINGS
 UNWIND WITH CONFIDENCE

Be a guest at Castello del Trebbio, a 12th-century fortress

now castle, steeped in rich history, olives and vineyards.
Sample their wines and olive oils and get treated to a
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Discover all our travel experiences at www.trafalgar.com, call

our experts at 866-248-8797 or contact your Travel Agent.

#SimplyTrafalgar

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866·774·2924 | astonhotels.com | promo code: astonlife
 Globetrotter A WORLD OF TRAVEL TRENDS & DISCOVERIES

Chase away the chill

with the tastiest ramen,
a special cocktail and the
perfect Italian combo. p. 18
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 9

 GLOBETROTTER//

5 1
ROVANIEMI, FINLAND //
Head out on a dogsled to chase
the northern lights in Rovaniemi,

SPOTS
Finland. October to November,
and February to March are peak
times to go aurora watching. Why
to Talk About Right Now not get in the festive spirit by adding
on a trip to meet Santa Claus and
Rudolph at their “official residence”
Lonely Planet’s in the Arctic Circle.
Destination Editors Gemma Graham
@gglpde
scour the globe @gemmakgraham
looking for the most
authentic and
inspiring places,
events and trips.
Here, they share their
favorite spots for
winter.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

OPPOSITE PAGE: JUSTINREZNICK/ GETTY IMAGES; THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: JOHNER IMAGES/ GETTY IMAGES, ORLANDO SIERRA/ GETTY IMAGES, COURTESY MONA, ERIC LAFFORGUE

2 EUGENE, OREGON // Sample the flavors of one of

Oregon's largest cities, situated right in the state's agricultural
heart. The Northwest’s best native edible truffles are ripe
3 BAHAMAS // Chase away the post-holiday blues at one of
the Caribbean's liveliest parades. Junkanoo, the Bahamas’
biggest street carnival, takes place on both Boxing Day
for the picking in January, and Eugene becomes a hub with (December 26) and on New Year’s Day. The largest of the
its Oregon Truffle Festival. parades is in downtown Nassau.
Alexander Howard @AlexMHoward @alexmhoward Bailey Johnson @The_Traveling_B @the_traveling_b

4 RWANDA // The short dry season (mid-December to

early February) in Rwanda makes it a perfect time to hike
through the East African jungles to glimpse mountain
5 TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA // Tasmania's capital, Hobart,
gets taken over by the Museum of New and Old Art’s eclectic
Mofo art festival, set for January 20–22. More than 300 artists
gorillas – the air is clear for photography and the steep and musicians participate in installations, performances and
paths are sure underfoot. more throughout the city.
Matt Phillips @Go2MattPhillps @go2mattphillips Tasmin Waby @TravellingTaz @tasminwaby

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 11

 REDEFINING
THE WINDOW of
OPPORTUNITY

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we turned our beds to face the window, giving you a bed with a view for the sweetest visions ever.
Of course better views are just the beginning when you sail with Avalon.

Contact your professional travel agent, call 866.397.6594

or visit AvalonWaterways.com
 GLOBETROTTER//

Travel CENTRAL
DOME
Icon Weighing more
than 13,000
tons, the dome
THE TAJ MAHAL
represents the
vault of heaven, PLATFORM
India’s most famous a stark contrast The structure
to the material stands on a
structure is not a world, which is raised marble
mosque, a temple represented by platform, which
or a palace. It is, in the square shape means that,
of the main by design,
fact, a tomb. Mughal structure. the backdrop
Emperor Shah Jahan
commissioned the PIETRA is only sky.

Taj Mahal in 1631 as DURA

a mausoleum for his It’s believed that
third and favorite 35 different MINARETS
precious and
wife, Mumtaz Mahal. semiprecious These 131-foot-
After Shah Jahan’s PISHTAQS stones were high towers
are purely
passing in 1666, he used to create
Lattice marble the exquisite decorative.
was buried here screens in marble inlay
alongside Mumtaz. these arched work on the
recesses allow inside and
patterned light outside walls.
to illuminate
LAWNS inside the
mausoleum.
In 1908 the
gardens were
remodeled.
They reflect the
Anglo-Saxon
preferences
of the ruling
British, but
with a Persian
design: the
pools symbolize
the four rivers
of paradise.

INSIDE
The main FACADES
chamber The building’s
features two four nearly
false tombs of
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

identical faces
the royal couple. feature
The real tombs quotations
are locked in a from the Quran,
crypt below and scripted and
aren’t available inlaid in jasper.
for viewing.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 13

 PARIS
GLOBETROTTER//
10 NEW WAYS
TO FALL IN
LOVE WITH

It’s easy to fall for 4. PLAY PÉTANQUE

Paris. The City of LIKE A LOCAL.
Light has long been On Localers’ two-hour “Play
known as a haven Pétanque in Paris” excursion
both for lovers and you’ll get a hands-on lesson in
the forlorn. Here are the classic French game – sips
some unique ways of pastis included.
to experience the • Pétanque tour $60;
city, and rekindle localers.com
the love affair.
5. HAVE ONE OF THE BEST
1. SEE THE EIFFEL TOWER – BITES IN PARIS – FOR LESS
FROM THE INSIDE. THAN $5.
Designer Gustave Eiffel built a Du Pain et des Idées, one of
personal office atop the nearly the world’s best bakeries, has
1,000-foot tower. The space Parisians lining up for crusty
has been restored and is now sourdough, orange blossom
open for visitors. brioche, croissants and more.
• $19 elevator ticket to top; THE EIFFEL TOWER’S • Closed weekends;
toureiffel.paris/en dupainetdesidees.com
NIGHTLY LIGHT SHOW
2. SLEEP IN A GLAMOROUS, IS PROVIDED BY 20,000 6. DINE ELBOW TO ELBOW.
HIP HOTEL IN THE MARAIS SPARKLING BULBS At Le Refuge des Fondus,
DISTRICT. diners sit at just two long tables.
French fashion designer PLUS A BEACON OF Only fondues are served, wine
Christian Lacroix decorated TWO BEAMS REACHING comes in baby bottles, and the
Hotel du Petit Moulin, playfully walls are covered with graffiti.
merging Belle Epoque Paris 50 MILES. • From $23; +33 1 42 55 22 65
elegance with modern designs.
• from $221; 7. WATCH THE CITY ROLL BY 9. TAKE A LATE-NIGHT DIP.
hotelpetitmoulinparis.com WITH THE PARI ROLLER. The art deco era Piscine
This 18.5-mile in-line skating THERE ARE SOME Pontoise has become a little-
3. STEAL A KISS IN A tour draws as many as 35,000
30,000 BAKERIES known late-night spot for
FAMOUS CEMETERY. participants every Friday night, locals in the Latin quarter.
Père-Lachaise, the world’s most beginning at 10 p.m. in the IN FRANCE; 1,100 OF • Evening admission $12;
visited cemetery, is the final 14th arrondissement. THEM ARE IN PARIS. equipement.paris.fr/piscine
resting place of many famous • Participation is free; pontoise-2918
people, including Oscar Wilde pari-roller.com IN THE EARLY 1900S,
and Honoré de Balzac. THE FRENCH CONSUMED 10. RIDE A 19TH-CENTURY
• Free admission; paris.fr 8. SEE UNDERGROUND ART. PEDAL-POWERED CAROUSEL.
Scan some of the 300 metro
NEARLY 2 POUNDS OF A private collection of
stations for unexpected art, BREAD DAILY; TODAY antique fairground
PÈRE-LACHAISE'S MOST VISITED GRAVE IS THAT OF such as the ceramic fresco at
THAT'S DROPPED TO attractions is housed at
the Bastille platform depicting Musée des Arts Forains.
ROCK STAR JIM MORRISON. IN 2011, 40,000 FANS the French Revolution. ABOUT 3½ OUNCES. • Guided tours $18;
VISITED ON THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH. • Free admission arts-forains.com

14 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: PHILIP LEE HARVEY, MATT MUNRO, HELEN CATHCART

4
 GLOBETROTTER//

LikeThat?
Whale watching or safari? Reggae music or volcano
viewing? Use this table to seek out alternatives to some
of the world’s best-loved travel destinations. For more
Try This ideas, see Lonely Planet’s new giant volume The Travel
Book, our ultimate introduction to a world of travel,
covering every possible destination ($50).

IN THE MOOD FOR… WORLDWIDE FAVORITE UNDER THE RADAR

Tahiti and Marshall

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SVETLANA ZHUKOVA/SHUTTERSTOCK, DAVID KIRKLAND/GETTY IMAGES, OLIVER HOFFMANN/SHUTTERSTOCK, STEVE COLLENDER/SHUTTERSTOCK,
French Polynesia Islands
Surf cavernous tubes Dive WWII wreckage
Over-water bungalows Explore remote islands
A POLYNESIAN
Fragrant gardenia flowers Ocean-going canoes
ADVENTURE

JULIAN ALPS/GETTY IMAGES, MICHAL ZDUNIAK/SHUTTERSTOCK, WILDESTANIMAL/GETTY IMAGES, JOAN VICENT CANTO ROIG/GETTY IMAGES
Jamaica Martinique
Raft the Rio Bueno Charming fishing villages
Reggae music Eat conch stew
Rum distilleries See active volcano Mont Pelée
A CARIBBEAN
BREAK

South Africa Swaziland

Whale watching Black rhinos
Table Mountain Hike Ngwempisi Gorge
AN AFRICAN Wineries Africa’s last absolute monarchy
TOUR

Switzerland Slovenia
Ski beneath the Matterhorn Fairy-tale castles
Scenic train rides Pristine Lake Bled
A SNOWY The sound of cowbells Snow-white Lipizzaner horses
MOUNTAIN ESCAPE

16 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

Find amazing experiences
all year for only $8
With authentic storytelling and beautiful photography,
each issue is filled with unique adventures, memorable
landscapes and fascinating characters. Take advantage of our
discounted rate and get a year of Lonely Planet magazine
for 66% OFF* the newsstand price.

WINNER

Best New
Magazine
Return the card or visit lonelyplanet.com/usmagazine/wintersavings 2016
*Savings based on annual newsstand price of $23.96.
 Brooklyn
GLOBETROTTER//
WHAT TO
EAT IN

From left: Chef Dale Talde in

his restaurant in Brooklyn’s
Park Slope neighborhood. //
His kung pao chicken wings,
with peanuts and buttermilk
ranch dipping sauce, are in
high demand.

Chef Dale Talde puts an American twist on iconic oysters and bacon. For Talde, who has cooked some variation of Asian food
Asian dishes. Here, the Top Chef alum shares his Filipino for much of his career, it all feels real and not forced; it’s the kind of cultural
mélange he was accustomed to growing up in a Filipino family.
heritage, his passion for Asian food and his favorite spots Raised in Chicago, he moved to New York City in 2005 to cook
in NYC’s buzziest borough. under famed chef Masaharu Morimoto (best known for the Iron Chef cooking
By Lauren Finney | PhotograPhs By guiLLaume gaudet show). He recently moved from downtown Brooklyn to New Jersey, close to
two of his restaurants. Brooklyn is teeming with many ethnicities and cultur-
It’s hard to make it in New York City, but despite an often-cutthroat al groups, so it was a natural choice six years ago when Talde opened his epon-
environment, Dale Talde has managed to build a restaurant empire. The ymous restaurant. The space there plays off Talde’s personal theme of meld-
energetic and irreverent chef, an alum of Bravo TV’s Top Chef, is a partner in ing together the unexpected: ornate 19th-century wooden carvings depicting
eight restaurants on the East Coast, including in Brooklyn, where the first elephants and dragons provide the backdrop for his modern, remixed food.
three of his establishments are located. Next up, Talde and his partners, John Bush and David Massoni, are
A Filipino-American, Talde, 38, proudly cooks what he calls inauthentic adding two restaurants to their arsenal. The first is Massoni, an Italian spot
Asian. “I cook the food of many Fil-Ams, and those other first-generation scheduled to open November 1 in the Arlo Nomad Hotel on the East Side of
people whose parents are from two different countries or cultures,” he says. Manhattan. Rice and Gold, in Chinatown, is set to open in late 2017. “We’re
“It’s that kind of mashup of where we are from and where our parents are focusing on anywhere rice is the center of the place: Puerto Rico, the Domin-
from. To us, it’s authentic.” ican Republic, Jamaica, Spain, the Carolinas,” Talde says.
That means at Talde (taldebrooklyn.com), his namesake restaurant in Brook- Rather than being led by what he calls “ego-driven food,” the new restau-
lyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, you’ll find off-the-wall combinations such rants will have a theme in common with the others: community. “We are
as pretzel pork and chive dumplings served with spicy mustard, or yuzu warm, understand the locals and give them what they want,” he says. “The
fruit guacamole with crispy rice and Italian speck, a type of prosciutto. The mentality of all our restaurants is we do what we want to do, but we listen to
menu has no limits to its seemingly oddball yet delectable pairings: roti bread the neighborhoods because they own the restaurants. It’s their watering hole,
gets an everything-bagel treatment, and pad Thai gets upgraded with crispy their place to take the kids to dinner, their place to celebrate.”

18 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 Favorite
spot in
Brooklyn

“I surround myself with

Asian food, but I still love
to eat ramen at Chuko
[chukobk.com] on a cold
day with my wife, Agnes.
Chef David Koon is a
good friend, and they do
ramen right. We all cooked
together at Morimoto, and
when they opened Chuko
I knew it was going to be
great. The vegetable ramen
is creamy yet light and
super flavorful, like getting
a big hug from Mom when
you’re sick.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
 Preferred Local seafood that’s responsibly sourced is Talde’s pref- Cocktail Talde likes Weather Up [weatherupnyc.com] in Pros-
purveyor erence. “Green Point Fish & Lobster Co. [greenpointfish den pect Heights. “It feels special, no matter what.”
.com] has awesome fish. It’s some of the best you’re Look for expertly crafted drinks, such as the Toronto
going to get. I love the sustainable fish like Spanish (above), made from rye whiskey; Fernet, a bitter
mackerel, tilefish and the clam section.” herb-based liquer; and simple syrup.

Super Talde heads to Defonte’s Sandwich Shop (718-625- Pizza Everything is off the wood-burning stove at Speedy
sandwich 8052) in the Red Hook neighborhood when he wants place Romeo (speedyromeo.com), including the wild mush-
a classic Italian combo packed with capicola, salami, room, egg and sage pizza (above). “Their stuffed red
pepperoni, cheese and pickled red peppers. “It’s a pepper is super addictive. It’s spicy and crunchy from
delicious mix of fatty, salty, sweet and sour all in one.” a mix of housemade Italian sausage and parmesan.”

20 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 GLOBETROTTER// What to Eat

Superior
seafood

“Pacificana’s [pacificana
brooklyn.com] a dim sum
place, and I go for the
dim sum, but I always
want the crab and the
steamed fish – simply
steamed or wok-tossed
with chilis and ginger,
you can’t go wrong.”

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 21

 GLOBETROTTER//

URBAN
Pack 2 CYCLING...
& Play 5 1 Keansburg
Deluxe Bike
$469, statebicycle.com
Old-school yet light
4 cruiser includes front
3 and rear racks, a bell and
a bottle opener
2 Thousand
Premium Helmet
6 $90, explorethousand.com
Rubberized finish, three
cooling channels plus a
secret lock
3 U-Lock
1 $59.95, knog.com.au
UV-resistant silicone
coating won’t scratch
your bike
4 Dawson backpack
$74.99, herschelsupply.com
Comes with a 13-inch
laptop sleeve
5 Solo bike
storage unit
$99, cycloc.com
Allows for easy wall
storage
6 Detachable
TRY bike light
IT $22, bookman.se
Elastic pulls make for
easy mounting and
dismounting
San Francisco
Whether you choose – and enjoy city scenery
to ride its outlying in between. Head out
pathways or take your toward the Golden
chances on city streets, Gate Bridge and to
SAN FRANCISCO has verdant Marin County,
become a great place or cruise through town
for urban cyclists toward the Ferry
looking to get from Building to pick up
point A to point B local bites.

22 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 2
...VS.
EPIC
RIDES
5 1 Cascadia

3 Touring Bike
$3,795, co-motion.com

4 Beautifully built, a true

bike for life – and the
long haul
6 7
2 Aeon helmet
$200, giro.com
Lightweight, secure fit
and extra cooling power
3 Back-Roller

1 Classic panniers
$180 for two, ortliebusa.com
Waterproof and attach
easily to the bike
4 Fold-up hex
wrench set
$13.95, parktool.com
Includes 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and
10 mm hex wrenches
5 Camille cycling
camera
$169.99, miniwing.com
Features an integrated
GPS cyclocomputer
6 Sonic 2
TRY cycling shoes
IT $99.99, northwave.com
Easy to close and ideal
for clipless pedals

Natchez Trace 7 Lonely Planet’s Epic

Bike Rides of the World
THE NATCHEZ TRACE and Civil War soldiers to $35, lonelyplanet.com
PARKWAY spans Elvis and Oprah. Grab To make your dreams
444 miles between a mix of music from of epic bike rides a
Nashville, Tennessee, Muscle Shoals, reality, check out our
and Natchez, Alabama, recording new book featuring
Mississippi. Take time artists (anyone from 50 cycling routes in
to explore thousands Percy Sledge to the 30 countries.
of years of history, from Black Keys will do)
the Chickasaw tribe and hit the road.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 23

 GLOBETROTTER//

The
Photo
Story
“I wanted to capture the daily
lives of women in Mongolia,
the world’s least densely
populated country. The deel,
featured in three of these shots,
is a tunic that Mongolians
have worn for centuries. From
talking to locals, I’d say it acts
as an expression of cultural
and national pride as well as
a form of compensation for the
simple, austere nomadic
lifestyle experienced by the
majority of the population.”

Between assignments,
travel photographer
S U enjoys
visiting unusual
destinations.

“Zulaa is of Tuvan ethnicity. The

Tuvan people are found in the
northwest of Mongolia and in
neighboring Russia. She and her
family are nomadic reindeer
herders. I spotted her on the edge
of a forest, tending her family’s
herd. It was like the most surreal
Christmas scene. She is wearing
a deel and a ceremonial hat to
recognize the fact that her sister
had just given birth.”

24 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

“This is Undarmaa, from the city
of Mörön. She is photographed in
an old-fashioned beauty salon
in the main market. While the
rollers were in and she was under
the beehive hair dryer, I asked
permission for a photo. She was
initially unsure of herself in
front of the camera, so I asked
her to express in her pose how
she felt to be Mongolian.”

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 25

 “Byankhuu is a railway
station controller in Emeelt,
west on the line out of the
capital, Ulaanbaatar. She is
photographed in the station’s
waiting room, a well-preserved
communist relic. The only
passengers on the platform
outside were three old men
drunk on airag – fermented
mare’s milk – carrying jerrycans
full of gasoline and a sack of
cabbages. Byankhuu had
obviously spent a fair bit
of time putting on makeup.
Despite being one of the
friendliest people I met in
Mongolia, the station and
her uniform gave her a touch
of the James Bond villain.”

26 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 GLOBETROTTER// The Photo Story

“I stayed with Lkhagvaa and

her family in Khatgal, a small
village on the southern tip of
Lake Khövsgöl. Her husband
and a friend knocked the goat
unconscious with a rock, then,
as is the tradition in Mongolia,
made a cut in the belly with a
sharp knife before reaching
a hand inside to cut the aorta
and kill the animal. The goat was
pulled inside, then Lkhagvaa and
her sister cleaned and prepped
all the innards – throwing away
nothing – while the men and her
young son watched wrestling
on the TV in the background.”

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 27

 GLOBETROTTER//
AMAZING Converted
PLACES
TO STAY Buildings

THE BEEKMAN HOTEL The 21c Museum Hotel Lexington (right),

NEW YORK CITY opened in February 2016 by native
What was once lower Manhattan’s Temple Court build- Kentuckians, is situated downtown.
ing is now the shiny new Beekman Hotel. Built in 1881, Included in the museum's art collection is
this was one of Manhattan’s first skyscrapers, known for a limited edition Blue Penguin sculpture
its nine-story Victorian atrium and pyramidal skylight. (below right), a signature at all 21c
Lawyers and later press agents, publishers and advertising Museum hotels.
agencies had offices in the building. The site also was previ-
ously the home of New York University’s first classes in 1832,
as well as the site of Clinton Hall, a library frequented by The 287 rooms at the Beekman Hotel
Edgar Allan Poe and other literary notables. The facade was (below left) are within walking distance to
named an official New York City landmark in 1998. Manhattan's South Street Seaport and the
rebuilt World Trade Center complex.
PLUS: All the creature comforts you could dream of
are available at the hotel, including Carrara-marble
bathrooms, a courtesy car, custom-designed oak head-
boards, 24-hour check-in, a restaurant by NYC favorite
Keith McNally, and room service and catering by celebrity
chef Tom Colicchio. From $619; thebeekman.com

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: COURTESY OF 21C, COURTESY OF HOTEL EMMA, COURTESY OF THE BEEKMAN
21C MUSEUM HOTEL LEXINGTON
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY
The 21c chain’s newest property offers 83 rooms and five
suites in Lexington, Kentucky’s historic Fayette National
Bank Building (designed by the same architects who had
a hand in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art). The
Beaux Arts-style touches include preserved Tennessee
pink marble, vaulted ornamental plaster ceilings and exte-
rior Ionic columns. The former bank’s vault is now used as
a private dining room for 12.

PLUS: Keeping with a company-wide promise, the 21c Lex-

ington doubles as a contemporary art museum, free to the
public 365 days a year. The 7,000 square feet of exhibition
space holds art from Dutch, American and Swedish con-
temporary artists, including one of the brand’s signature
penguin sculptures (Blue Penguin) from artist collective
Cracking Art Group. From $229; 21cmuseumhotels.com

28 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

HOTEL EMMA
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
Right on the Museum Reach of the San Antonio River
Walk sits Hotel Emma, a 146-room boutique hotel housed
in the former 1894 Pearl Brewery. It’s named for Emma
Koehler, who kept the business running during Prohibition
by making ice cream and soda and converting operations to
dry cleaning and auto repair. A large flywheel generator is
now the focal point of the industrial-chic lobby space that’s
accented by rich, deep textiles and textures. Look for Texas
touches throughout, such as saddle leather, cypress wood,
tile and plaster walls, including in the three dining options.

PLUS: There’s a stunning library that contains brew-

ing books from the original owners’ collection as well as
3,700 volumes from cultural anthropologist Sherry Kafka
Wagner. Modern comforts include loaner Electra bikes,
luxurious Frette linens and Malin + Goetz toiletries. From
$350; thehotelemma.com

The lobby of Hotel Emma (left) is //////////////////////////

outfitted with vintage furniture, reclaimed
More Converted
Hotels to Check Out
accents and industrial fixtures. The 1894  
building is located in the heart of San Hilton Molino Stucky
Antonio's Pearl district. A former flour mill in VENICE
gets the luxury treatment.
From $125; hilton.com
 
Brown Beach House Croatia
This waterfront hotel on the
DALMATION COAST used to
be a tobacco storage facility.
From $326; brownhotels.com/
croatia
 
Fire Station Inn
This ADELAIDE building housed
South Australia’s first firehouse.
From $219; adelaideheritage.com

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 29

 GLOBETROTTER//
INSIDE
Travel
KNOWLEDGE
Fitness
Staying
in Sha pe
on the Road:
MaSovaida’s Tips
Travel and fitness
go hand in hand
for Lonely Planet Explore while you exercise: not
Destination Editor all workouts have to feel like
MaSovaida Morgan. work. Get your bearings in a new
Here, she reveals how destination while getting active with a
exercising on the road walking tour, hike or bike rental. Also,
can enrich your local parks make great outdoor gyms.
travel experiences.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PETER ADAMS/GETTY IMAGES, HEMERA TECHNOLOGIES/GETTY IMAGES, YASINGUNEYSU/ GETTY IMAGES, NICOPIOTTO/GETTY IMAGES
Pack your own healthy,
nonperishable snacks. Energy
bars, trail mix and jerky are good choices,
as are instant oatmeal packets, which
can be prepared in your hotel room with
hot water from the coffee maker.
During a recent trip to Rio de Janeiro, I took a on the strength training, plus dialing in my nutri-
lesson in futevôlei (footvolley), a seaside sport that tion – I’m inconsistent when I travel.
combines elements of beach volleyball with soccer. Throwing best practices to the wind in favor
Just being on Ipanema beach was a little intimidat- of nonstop indulgence while on the road (lest
ing: most cariocas (residents of Rio) are incredibly I miss out on any of the rich experiences that Rise and grind: Start the day
fit, and although I spend a lot of time in the gym, prompted me to travel in the first place) often with 30 minutes of activity.
I hadn’t played a single ball sport in two decades. left me feeling like I had to start my regimen over Whether it’s a circuit in your hotel room
After the lesson, it was time for a real throw- every time my homeward-bound plane touched or a jog around the city, this is a great
down with a few lithe and strapping locals. Being down on the tarmac. way to boost energy and may help you
able to hit the ball is one thing, but actually clear- Many journeys later, I’ve learned that main- stay conscientious about food choices
ing the net time and again to score points requires taining fitness and being completely present while throughout the day.
a lot of endurance and precision – not exactly my traveling are not mutually exclusive when a sense
strong suits. There was a moment when I swore I of adventure and true curiosity about a culture is
had the ball as it came over the net and met the top at the heart of every experience. Hiking in Peru,
of my knee, but what I expected to be a deliberate trying the traditional Rapa Nui dance on Easter
rebound flew off the court and nailed an elderly Island, and going for a spin on a "sky bike" over
spectator right in the head. the cloud forest of Ecuador were as beneficial to
It wasn’t long before I ran out of steam from my health as my typical workouts at home. Remember that water is your
the nonstop jumping and diving, but I stayed the But because these activities enabled me to best friend. Air travel and adjusting
course while huffing, puffing and praying for it to bond with the local people in these diverse desti- to new climates and elevations can
be over each time I flopped facedown in the sand. nations – whether through their kind and positive dehydrate you. Pack a refillable bottle
That wasn’t the only time I found myself spent encouragement to keep pushing through the and top it up whenever you can, or buy
from trying my hand (or foot) at an athletic activ- difficulty, or finding camaraderie in our mutual bottled water if you’re in an area where
ity in an effort to learn about local life in a new exhaustion after a long day of challenging tap water is unsafe to drink.
destination. While I maintain what most would physical pursuits – they were infinitely more
consider a rigorous fitness routine at home – heavy memorable and enriching.

30 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 th e
UNbeaten path
It will find you when you’re ready.

Non-stop flights from 6 major cities

visitsunvalley.com/winter
 PRO MO TIO N

TOTALLY
TOHOKU
The Tohoku area of northern Japan is known for its wide open spaces, including the Wall of Yokokura with a maximum incline of 38
stunning nature and kind, friendly people. The region, which is degrees. Snowshoeing routes through deep powder abound, and
sometimes called ‘Michinoku’ (Backroads), is one rich with myth and once you get over 5000 feet, mysterious figures can be spotted in
folklore, and has long inspired artists from 17th century haiku poet the frozen tableau.
Matsuo Basho to filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and animation master
Hayao Miyazaki. Venture into these backroads and you’ll find untram- Here, in the subalpine zone, strange shapes emerge like wild hunch-
pled wilderness and sleepy towns that time seems to have forgotten. back figures, stark white, which dot the landscape. A few at first and
then hordes, these figures resemble a menacing army of lumbering
On Mount Zao on the border of Miyagi and Yamagata Prefectures, giants. These Juhyou (Snow Monsters), are formed when the wind,
winter is ferocious and absolute. The ski resorts that hug the moun- snow, and freezing rain buffet the Aomori white fir trees, clinging to
tain get over 30 feet of snow per season and boast a maximum down- the branches and collecting until the monsters’ forms emerge. The
hill run of six miles. The Zao Onsen resort on the Yamagata side has monsters march across the snowy plain en masse and make an eerie
over 40 lifts and lots of choices for skiers and snowboarders, sight when viewed at night.
 PROMOTION

To thaw out, visitors can venture further north to Ginzan Onsen in bubbling hotpots with enoki mushrooms, scallops, shrimp, and
Yamagata Prefecture. The small hot spring village’s name means grilled ayu (sweetfish), a river fish from this region. The meal is
‘Silver Mountain’, as the area was once a thriving silver mine, though paired with locally made sake, which the area is famous for.
the town is now known solely for its healing natural hot springs and
its nostalgic sensibilities. Sulfurous steam rises from the center of At the tip top of the island sits Aomori Prefecture, the northern-
town, the pungent scent heady in the air, and traditional wooden most prefecture in the region. Here, in the city of Kuroishi, lies the
inns and shops cluster along the single main street of the town. A Tsugaru Kokeshikan, a museum dedicated to the folk art of the
burbling stream runs under the street, which is crisscrossed with wooden kokeshi doll. These distinctive cylindrical dolls, with their
small footbridges to allow passage back and forth, and the area is lit simple shapes and primary colors, are indigenous to the Tohoku
at night with gas lamps that glow yellow against the night sky. region, and feature designs handed down through generations
symbolizing local motifs. In Aomori, many dolls are painted with
Guests clad in yukata (lighter version of the traditional kimono robe) peonies, which was the seal of a local lord, or with Nebuta, the
trip along the street in geta slippers, the wooden clopping sound image of a fierce local god.
echoing down the path. They dart between the inns and the small
public baths scattered through the town, some pausing to dip their The museum features over 4000 dolls and traces the history of the
toes into the steaming footbath in the middle of town. Each inn also kokeshi over more than 100 years. Visitors can try their hand at
has baths, and there’s nothing quite like sitting naked in the open painting one of the dolls on a freshly hewn block of maple, under
air, chest deep in steaming hot water in a cedar bath, looking at the tutelage of a kokeshi master. Masafumi Abo, a kokeshi artisan
the side of a mountain with birdsong in your ears. Sore muscles like his father before him, coaches would-be dollmakers in eye-
unclench, tired bones are soothed, and stress melts away when brow-painting technique and the proper way to apply sumi ink to
sitting in the healing waters. achieve a graceful, expressive face. It’s harder than it looks. Even
if you draw the same style of features on the same shape of wood,
At night, a lavish feast is laid out in the guest’s room, the table brim- he says, because the dolls are handmade and hand painted. “You
ming with colorful, eye-catching morsels. Yamagata Kuroge Wagyu never draw exactly the same face. Each doll is unique.”
is a highest-grade beef that ranks among the top in Japan. This fine-
grained, tender beef can be served as a thick-cut steak, grilled with The same could be said of a visit to Tohoku. On this path less
vegetables or delicately sliced into thin, marbled shabu-shabu for traveled, you’re not likely to have a cookie-cutter experience. It may
tabletop hotpot cooking. Also on the menu: fresh sashimi, be a little out of the way, but it’s worth the wander.
Forget
rooftop bars.
Air travel
engineered
around you

Experience a flight that transforms ordinary into

exceptional: An atmosphere as tranquil as a rooftop
bar that encourages optimal relaxation. Enticing
cuisine served in the style of a fine restaurant with an
impressive view above the clouds. A spacious office,
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options. Refresh, dine, work, delight, sleep: the choice
is always yours.

LH.com/us/nonstopyou
 Easy Trips
QUICK ESCAPES FOR WINTER
COREY RICH

Bundle up and head to the south

side for snow sports, sunny skies
and nonstop nightlife. p.44
 Easy Go beyond Bourbon Street
Trips in NEW ORLEANS.

Whether you’ve sworn off the intensity of the French artifacts, tanks, fighter jets and more. The latter’s
Quarter or you’re looking to see The Big Easy from a state-of-the-art theater features a 45-minute interac- GET THERE EAT
different perspective, New Orleans’s other neighbor- tive film narrated by Tom Hanks, complete with fake Louis Armstrong New In Mid City, try Toups
hoods have much to offer. snow and rumbling seats. Orleans International Meatery (toupsmeatery
It’s worth positioning yourself at accommoda- Over in Mid City, there’s the 1,300-acre City Park – Airport, about 15 miles .com) for fine food and
tions uptown in the Garden District, a neighborhood almost twice the size of NYC’s Central Park – with west of the city, has craft cocktails, and Café
known for its majestic antebellum homes, lush plenty of gardens to roam, including a 60-piece flights from the East Degas (cafedegas.com),
landscaping, and shopping areas, such as Maga- sculpture garden. Across the street are the calm and West Coasts daily. a French bistro. In the
zine Street, that range from the funky to the com- waters of Bayou St. John. Kayak-Iti-Yat ($45; kayakiti Taxis from the airport Bywater, there’s Red’s
mercial. Catch a novel view of downtown from yat.com) offers daily informal guided kayaking tours, accept credit cards and (redschinese.com),
the roof of the recently renovated Pontchartrain allowing you to see the sights of the neighborhood, are a flat fee of $36 for a cool, innovative spot
Hotel, where the Hot Tin Roof bar has become a including large plantation-style homes. up to two passengers. from restaurateur
popular gathering point for locals. Finally, head back beyond the French Quarter Danny Bowien of
A streetcar runs along St. Charles Avenue, and to the adjacent Bywater and Faubourg Marigny Mission Chinese fame.
for $1.25 you can take it from around Tulane Univer- neighborhoods. This area has become the epicenter The newly opened
sity all the way down to Canal Street at the edge of of New Orleans’s new creative class, with design- food hall St. Roch
the French Quarter. Along the way, you’ll pass the forward restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and Market (strochmarket
Ogden Museum of Southern Art ($13.50; ogden bars, and some old standbys, including the famed .com) is a couple of
museum.org), home to the largest collection of HiHo Lounge (hiholounge.net) music venue. blocks away.
art by Southern artists, and the National World War
II Museum ($26; nationalww2museum.org), where
four large contemporary buildings hold naval

This page, from left: Oysters at St. Roch

Market // The exterior of the Henry Howard
Hotel is representative of Garden District
architecture. // Opposite, clockwise from
top left: St. Louis Cathedral overlooking the
Mississippi River // enjoying cocktail hour in
the Fauborg Marigny neighborhood // Henry
Howard Hotel lobby // Pontchartrain Hotel

LEFT TO RIGHT: GABRIELLE GEISELMAN, KATHLEEN FITZGERALD

For more information, visit neworleanscvb.com.

38 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ERIC YU PHOTOGRAPHY/ GETTY IMAGES, MARIO TAMA/ GETTY IMAGES, ALISON GOOTEE, CHRISTIAN HORAN PHOTOGRAPHY

STAY

Henry Howard Hotel

(from $179; henryhoward
hotel.com), one block off
St. Charles Avenue in the
Garden District, is an 18-
bedroom intimate dwelling.
Pontchartrain Hotel
(from $179; thepontchar
trainhotel.com), also in the
Garden District, features
rooms blending Southern
antiques and European
style. The rooftop bar
provides stunning views.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 39

 Easy See ST. JOHN through the verdant hills and
Trips pristine beaches of Virgin Islands National Park.

GET THERE
St. John doesn’t have
an international airport
or a cruise port. To get
there, it’s a 4-mile ferry
ride from the St. Thomas
docks in Charlotte
Amalie and Red Hook
(departing every hour).
Passengers disembark
at Cruz Bay, a pastel-
hued ferry port close

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MONICA AND MICHAEL SWEET/ GETTY IMAGES, REINHARD DIRSCHERL/ GETTY IMAGES, KELLYVANDELLEN/ GETTY IMAGES
to stores, restaurants,
car rental firms, dive
shops and bars.

STAY
Befitting St. John’s
reputation for natural
living, Concordia
Eco-Tents (from $135;
concordiaeco-resort
.com) offers imaginative
wood-framed eco-tents
strung together by
boardwalks. The Estate
Lindholm (from $255;
estatelindholm.com) is
The U.S. Virgin Islands are made up of three major of wildlife, including whales, dolphins, sea turtles, fish Clockwise from left: a boutique hotel
landforms: St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John, the ideal and 138 bird species. Go snorkeling or diving for great St. John is known for its overlooking Cruz Bay.
turquoise waters and
location to get a nature fix and unwind. views of underwater species. Trunk Bay ($4 entry fee), white-sand beaches. Luxury villa rentals are
Just a 4-mile ferry ride from the more industri- known for its underwater snorkeling trail and consid- // The Hawksbill sea available at mclaugh
turtle is one of three kinds
ous St. Thomas, St. John is the least developed of ered the island’s most beautiful beach, is the most of sea turtles on St. John linanderson.com.
the USVIs. Its wildness is thanks to the fact that two- popular (and often crowded) spot for visitors. // Trunk Bay, part of
thirds of the island is a protected national park. For something more low-key, head to the shallow Virgin Islands EAT
National Park, features
There are 20 trails to hike in Virgin Islands National waters of Cinnamon Bay or to Francis Bay, the best a 225-yard-long Miss Lucy’s (misslucys
Park, ranging from beginner (Lind Point) to advanced place to spot sea turtles. If a quirky day trip is in order, skorkeling trail along vi-hub.com) is as
offshore coral reefs.
(Reef Bay Trail, which takes you past Danish try the Tektite Museum (free; islands.org/tektite). famous for its Sunday
sugar plantation ruins). Friends of Virgin Islands Tektite was the name of an underwater marine jazz brunch and piña
National Park leads daily hikes to Reef Bay and along research facility and NASA project based on St. John colada pancakes as it
L’Esperance, a historic road important to the island’s in 1969 and 1970 that helped scientists better under- is for its weekday conch
rum trade ($40; friendsvinp.org). stand the effects on humans of living underwater for chowder and jumbo
VINP is a part of the UNESCO World Network of long periods of time. The museum features photos crab cakes.
Biosphere Reserves; within the park there are all kinds and videos from the project.

For more information, see visitusvi.com.

40 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 Easy Experience the “Greatest Snow
Trips on Earth” in PARK CITY, Utah.

GET THERE
Park City is about a
45-minute trip from Salt
Lake City International
Airport, where more
than 800 scheduled
flights come and go
daily. Once in town, the
free bus system can take
you to the foot of each
ski resort, historic
district and other sites.
The free Main Street
Trolley Service runs up
and down the city’s
main artery, which is
dotted with galleries,
shops and restaurants.

STAY
Resorts like Deer Valley
or Park City Mountain
can be pricey (some
accommodations can
top $1,000 per night)
but their amenities are
world-class. Less
expensive options
The Greatest Snow on Earth. That’s not a matter of If skiing’s not your thing, try the Park City Museum Utah Olympic Park is include locally owned
opinion: the state of Utah has an official trademark ($10; parkcityhistory.org), with several permanent a popular attraction lodgings, such as the
year-round. It is an
proclaiming it to be true. All that soft, powdery snow galleries dedicated to the city’s mining and ski history. official training site for Blue Church Lodge
can be attributed to a few things, including frequent The Utah Olympic Park (utaholympiclegacy.org U.S. Olympic athletes (from $190; theblue
and also hosts skeleton
storms and right-side-up snowfall (that’s when a /park) has bobsled fantasy camps (around $600), (pictured) and bobsled churchlodge.com).
fine powder sits atop the heavier stuff) – perfect for tubing and zip lining (from $6), and is host to bobsled championships.
slicing through the hundreds of trails on either Park and skeleton world championships. In town, you can EAT
City Mountain (parkcitymountain.com) or Deer Valley ride the alpine coaster ($25), go snowshoeing and Try The Farm (parkcity
Resort (deervalley.com). snowmobiling, or try your hand at fat tire snow biking. restaurants.com/the
JOEL ADDAMS/ GETTY IMAGES

Lift tickets for either resort are about $100 a day; A day pass to a world-class spa, like the one at -farm) for a post-ski
that grants you access to 21 lifts and 101 trails at Deer Stein Eriksen Lodge ($50 day pass; steinlodge.com), lunch, or local favorite
Valley, and 41 lifts and 300 trails at Park City Moun- gives you access to plunge pools, hot tubs, saunas Silver Star Café (the
tain. Service-oriented companies like Get Outfitted and steam rooms. When night falls, head over to High silverstarcafe.com) for a
(getoutfitted.com) and Ski Butlers (skibutlers.com) can West Distillery (highwest.com), a ski-in saloon and hearty weekend brunch.
help you round up everything you need to hit the distillery, or check out the rowdy No Name Saloon
slopes – from skis to goggles and base layers. downtown (nonamesaloon.net).

For more information, see visitparkcity.com.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 41

 Easy Check out Caribbean
Trips culture in historic CURAÇAO.

Curaçao might not be on your radar as a place to Willemstad. It features a sand floor, used so the
vacation – yet. The tiny island country is one of the island’s Jewish population could worship in secret. GET THERE
ABC islands – Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao – that are Next, stop by the Hato Caves (curacaohatocaves JetBlue has three weekly
below the hurricane belt, which means it is a great .com), which are more than 200,000 years old, to see nonstop flights to DO
choice any time of year. long-nosed bats, limestone formations, pools and the Curaçao International Each January, Curaçao’s
Start in Willemstad, Curaçao’s capital and a famous “Madonna” stalagmite. Airport from the NYC version of colorful and
UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island was settled On the north end of the island is National Christof- area; there are also boisterous Carnival
by the Dutch West India Company in the 1600s, and felpark (christoffelpark.org), Curaçao’s largest national nonstop flights from brings festivities
the European influence is readily seen in the unique park, known for its rich variety of flora and fauna. Miami and Charlotte celebrating the island’s
architecture. Throughout the years, the Dutch, Ibe- Watch for wild orchids and the rare native barn owl via American Airlines. culture. There are
rian, South American and African influences have and Curaçao white-tailed deer. Choose among eight Driving is the best way parades, pageants,
blended to make Curaçao what it is today. While in hiking trails to experience the park on foot; some offer to get around; several and private and public
town, also check out the floating market; Fort Amster- views of Plantation Savonet, one of the island’s earliest car rental companies are parties. Check curacao
dam, built in 1634; and the Queen Emma Bridge, a plantations. There are scenic drives as well. on the island. Taxis are carnival.com for exact
popular landmark spanning Santa Anna Bay. While they’re not the main attraction on Curaçao, pricey and often have dates and times as the
Head across the bridge to Kura Hulanda (kura the small, intimate beaches here – including Knip hidden costs. season approaches.
hulanda.com), a hotel and art museum that highlights Beach and Playa PortoMari – are worth a visit.
the plight of African slaves coming through Curaçao.
More than half of the slaves sent to the New World
went through the markets of Willemstad.
The oldest synagogue in the western hemi-
sphere, Mikve Israel Emanuel, dating to 1732, is also in

SHANNON GREER PHOTOGRAPHY / RUBBER PUPPY PRODUCTIONS, ULLSTEIN BILD/ GETTY IMAGES
This page, from left: A chef at
downtown Willemstad’s Plasa Bieu, where
traditional lunches include chicken, rice
and plantains // Festivals are an important
part of Curaçao’s culture. // Opposite:
Curaçao is known for its colorful houses
in Dutch Colonial-era syle.

For more information, see curacao.com.

42 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 STAY

Kura Hulanda
(from $259; kurahulanda
.com), is close to a reef –
perfect for those who like
to snorkel and dive.
Avila Beach Hotel
($305; avilabeachhotel
.com) is a 15-minute walk
from downtown
Willemstad.
RUSS ROHDE/ GETTY IMAGES

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 43

 Easy SOUTH LAKE TAHOE is a
Trips winter wonderland of fun.

GET THERE
The closest airport
is Reno–Tahoe
International Airport,
about an hour’s drive
away. If you’re driving
from San Francisco,
allow about three hours
(check road conditions
before driving). Shuttle
options from Reno are
about $27 (southtahoe
airporter.com).

DO
About an hour south of
the busy commercial
area near Heavenly
Mountain is Grover
Hot Springs State Park
($10 admission; parks
.ca.gov), where you can
go for a dip in the green,
mineral-rich healing
waters, even in winter.
Call ahead to make sure
Skiing, of course, is the big wintertime draw in South Zephyr also offers scenic daytime cruises – even From left: Coachman it’s open.
Lake Tahoe, California, located on the lake’s southern in winter – on the M.S. Dixie II paddle wheeler ($55). Hotel is a new addition
to South Lake Tahoe.
shore. But other activities abound – if you can peel You’ll travel to and from beautiful Emerald Bay, cruis- // Pyramid Peak and STAY
yourself away from a cozy fireside. ing past Vikingsholm, Tahoe’s “hidden castle,” and Mount Price, reflecting in The coolest new spot
the background on Lake
The area’s main resort is Heavenly (skiheavenly Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe’s only island. Tahoe, are majestic in in town – just blocks

LEFT: LUKE BEARD, RIGHT: KARL WEATHERLY/ GETTY IMAGES

.com), where a sightseeing ticket ($46) can get you If ice skating is more your style, head to the South any season. away from the Heavenly
access to the 14,000 square-foot observation plat- Lake Tahoe Ice Arena (tahoearena.com) to chan- gondola and a short
form, 9,123 feet up the mountain. For those ready nel your inner Nancy Kerrigan or check out a Tahoe walk from some of the
and willing to get active without hitting the slopes, try Icemen hockey match. Nearby is secluded Hansen’s casinos at the state line
snowshoeing or cross-country skiing at Van Sickle Resort (hansensresort.com), where the draw is snow – is the Coachman Hotel
Bi-State Park (tahoe.ca.gov), which straddles the tubes and saucers ($20 first hour). (from $179; coachman
California–Nevada border, or at Camp Richardson’s For après-ski, try Riva Grill (rivagrill.com) tahoe.com). Rentals are
Mountain Sports Center (camprichardson.com), for a signature “wet woody” cocktail – a slushy available too, through
where half- and full-day rentals are available ($15 half- fruit and rum drink that packs a major punch. sites such as heavenly
day snowshoe rental). German restaurant and beer house Himmel Haus villagecondos.com.
Another option: snowmobiling the 45 miles of (himmelhaustahoe.com) offers steins and schnitzel,
trails at Zephyr Cove Resort (from $135; zephyrcove accompanied by open-mic entertainment on Mon-
.com), which has a fleet of more than 100 vehicles. day and trivia contests on Wednesday.

For more information, visit tahoesouth.com.

44 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

Where is the best place to visit right now? Each year
Lonely Planet poses that question to our worldwide
network of travel experts. Amid fierce debate, we
whittle down their suggestions to 10 countries, 10
regions and 10 cities. On the pages that follow are
the best of this year’s travel picks.

JUSTIN FOULKES
 1
TOP 10
COUNTRIES CANADA
Bolstered by the wave of positivity unleashed by its energetic new Prime Minister, Justin
Trudeau, and with dynamic cities that dominate global livability indexes – plus its reputa-
reputa
tion for inclusiveness and impeccable politeness – the world’s second-largest country
will usher in its sesquicentennial in 2017 in rollicking good health. Marking 150 years since
» DON'T MISS
confederation, the birthday party promises to be heavy on bonhomie and highly welcoming
The best way to experience
to international gate-crashers. The weak Canadian dollar means visitors should have plenty
Canada’s wilderness is via
of pocket money to spend on Canada’s exciting fusion food and mysteriously underrated
its impressive national parks
wine. For more on Canada, see our feature story on Churchill, Manitoba (p. 58).
system. (Banff National Park
is pictured here.) Admission
to all 47 parks is free in 2017.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
 3
» DON'T MISS
The Finnish summer brings
FINLAND
Fought over by Russia
and Sweden for 800 years,
Finland finally gained
independence in 1917. The
Finns will celebrate their
a bonanza of the world’s tast-
centenary with gusto, with
iest blueberries, cranberries,
events planned in every
wild strawberries and highly
region. Expect everything
prized cloudberries.
from outdoor concerts and
communal culinary
experiences to sauna
“IN SUMMER evenings and vintage travel
I PICNIC ON poster exhibitions. There’s
even a new national park, a
THE BEACH 27,000-acre chunk of land
IN TAMPERE. in the village of Hossa
studded with pine forests
IN WINTER, and crisscrossed with rivers.
YOU CAN STILL With the country also
playing host to the

2
TAKE A DIP – World Figure Skating
THEY CARVE Championships and
the Nordic World Ski
A HOLE IN Championships in 2017,

COLOMBIA THE ICE.” there’s never been a better

Eliisa Vainikka, researcher time to discover Finland’s
» DON'T MISS Decades of civil war and violent crime meant Colombian proudly unique culture
passport stamps once were for hardcore travelers only. and landscapes.
Wander the walled Old Town
Fast-forward to the present day, and the lost years seem
of Cartagena, with its sun-
but a dust speck in Colombia’s rear-view mirror. There are
soaked streets, Spanish-built
no world wonders here, but the country’s mix of vibrant
churches and bougainvil-
culture, nature and hospitality is a rich tapestry woven
lea-draped courtyards.
by welcoming arms. More than a decade into its dramatic
about-face, this South American jewel is even expecting a
visit from the world’s No. 1 Catholic. When Pope Francis
kisses Colombian soil in 2017, it will mark the Andean
nation’s first papal visit in 30 years.

4
» DON'T MISS
Feel your heart beat in time
DOMINICA
Locals joke that if Christopher Columbus rose from the
grave and returned to the Caribbean, Dominica is the only
island he would still recognize. One glimpse of its prehis-
toric ferns and deserted shores, and you’ll see what they
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: LAURIE CASTELLI/GETTY
IMAGES
FROM TOP LEFT:

to a pounding waterfall on a
SITIKKA/GETTY

mean. For decades, an absence of shiny white beaches has

rainforest walk along the 115-
helped keep at bay the resort development that has swept
mile Waitukubuli Trail; each
through other parts of the Caribbean. Coconut palms are
of its 14 segments is designed
the only skyscrapers you’ll see here. Visit before Dominica
CLOCKWISE

to be done in a day.
IMAGES,

gets its first large-scale chain resorts in 2018, which will pave
the way for a new era of tourism.

48 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 5
TOP 10 COUNTRIES

NEPAL
Even natural disasters can’t keep Nepal down for long.
The 2015 earthquakes caused devastation, but what is most
» DON'T MISS striking from a traveler’s perspective is not how much was
lost but how much remains. Landmark temples crumbled,
View the Himalayas from the
but others came through with just the odd tile out of place,
rim of the Kathmandu Valley
and whole swathes of the country escaped serious damage,
or see the mountain peaks up
including most of the popular hiking trails. Nepal has all
close and personal on treks to
the skills required to repair monuments and infrastructure,
Annapurna, Kanchenjunga
but what it does need is income. By visiting Nepal now
and Everest Base Camp.
and supporting local culture and people, you could help a
nation rebuild and bounce back even stronger.

6
» DON'T MISS
Bermuda’s pink-sand
BERMUDA
The British territory of
Bermuda is often mistaken
for a Caribbean island, and
beaches – made from a
mix of crushed coral, calcium those in the know might
carbonate and the shells of not correct the misunder-
single-celled organisms standing, in order to keep
called foraminifera – are a the place to themselves a
huge draw. little longer. About 650
miles off the coast of North
Carolina, Bermuda is
“THE reachable from most major
COLORS OF East Coast cities in around
two hours; a quick hop
BERMUDA will get you a bit of Britain
ARE UNIQUE. mixed with island flair. In
June, Bermuda will host
LEFT: BARTOSZ HADYNIAK/ GETTY IMAGES, RIGHT: SCOTT DUNN/ GETTY IMAGES

NO INSTA- the America’s Cup, where

GRAM the United States will
defend its title. Temperate

7
FILTERS climates and favorable

MONGOLIA NEEDED winds make Bermuda the

perfect location for this
In 2017 Mongolia will raise the curtain on a new capital- HERE!” historic sailing race – and
city airport, a state-of-the-art facility that symbolizes the Rebecca Hanson, founder for your next trip.
of TABS Bermuda
country’s rapid modernization. Ulaanbaatar has been the
» DON'T MISS biggest beneficiary of the economic boom, its transformed
Giant wrestlers, thundering skyline bristling with glass and steel towers. At the center
horses and sharp-shooting of this development is a $500 million Shangri-La complex,
arches make naadam festivals to be completed by 2017, featuring a 290-room hotel, an
Mongolia’s most visually IMAX cinema and a Hard Rock Café. Beyond the capital
spectacular events. lies Mongolia’s stunning countryside, highlighted by Lake
Khövsgöl. In 2015 the lake was connected to Ulaanbaatar by
paved road, cutting driving time by 10 hours.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 49

 OMAN
Oman has been Arabia’s
ace in the hole for a while,
but with more flights than

8
ever before and high-end
hotels popping up, the
sultanate looks ready to
raise its game again. Luxury
accommodations, including
the award-winning duo
of Six Senses on the
» DON'T MISS
Musandam Peninsula
The rarely visited
and Alila in Nizwa (the
Musandam Peninsula is
town’s 17th-century fort
called the “Norway of
is seen here), have long
Oman” thanks to its khors
had a foothold in Oman.
(fjord-like inlets) that teem
Now, glitzy properties
with marine life.
from Anantara, Kempinski
and other luxury names
are slated to open soon.
The burst of construction
doesn’t stop there, though:
the $120 million Majarat
JUSTIN FOULKES

Oman, a futuristic indoor

theme park, is scheduled
to open in 2017.

50 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 9
TOP 10 COUNTRIES

MYANMAR
Change has been a long
time coming in the nation
» DON'T MISS also known as Burma, but
Just being in Myanmar is the election of the first
an unmissable experience: civilian government in
golden temples, tropical half a century has all eyes
outposts, history by the on the future. No one
truckload and disarmingly is pretending that all of
honest locals. Myanmar’s problems have
gone away, but things are
moving in the right direc-
“GENEROSITY tion, and Southeast Asia’s
OF SPIRIT most secretive country is
poised to receive an influx
IS EVERY- of travelers. Visiting comes
WHERE, FROM with challenges, but the
reward is a window onto a
THE DAILY vanishing Asia, where the
DONATIONS difficulties of travel are part
of the appeal, and where
OF ALMS TO life moves to the timeless
THE WARMTH rhythms of chanting monks
and monastery bells. For
SHOWN TO more on Myanmar, see
VISITORS.” our feature story in this
Khin Omar Win, director of issue (p. 76).
Eastern Safaris /Balloons
Over Bagan

10
LEFT: ANDREW MONTGOMERY, RIGHT: PHILIP LEE HARVEY

ETHIOPIA
With its own calendar (where else can you get 13 months of
» DON'T MISS
sunshine?), timekeeping, script, language, cuisine, church
Enjoy a multiday hike
and coffee, Ethiopia is as exotic as countries come. And
through the stunning
whether you’re hiking through the Simien Mountains to
heights of Ethiopia's Simien
see wildlife that roams nowhere else on Earth, climbing to
Mountains National Park,
a church carved into a remote cliff face in Tigray, or boating
where you’ll walk amid
across the serene waters of Lake Tana to visit an age-old
hundred-strong troops of
monastery, you’ll be overwhelmed by the beauty of the
baboon-size grass-eating
landscape. In 2017 new airline links will make the country
gelada monkeys.
more accessible than ever; be one of the first to hop aboard.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 51

 2
TOP 10
REGIONS
TARANAKI,
NEW
» DON'T MISS
The Pouakai Crossing is
ZEALAND
The joke goes that most
a day hike sidling around
travelers who reach
Mount Taranaki volcano,
Taranaki have just taken a
with panoramic views.
wrong turn, a gag backed
by statistics showing that
“RING PLAIN just 2 percent of New
LIFTING TO Zealand’s international
visitors venture out this
INLAND HILLS; way. But a new motto –
BACK-ROADS “A Little Bit Out There” –
offsets the region’s remote
TUNNELS; location with a deliciously
MAIN-ROADS offbeat new gallery dedi-
cated to effervescent kinetic

1
ARTWORKS: artist, filmmaker, painter
THEY’RE and poet Len Lye. In
nearby Egmont National
SPECIAL.” Park, meanwhile, a magnifi-

CHOQUEQUIRAO,
David Hill, writer cent hiking trail is emerging
from the shadows to chal-
» DON'T MISS
Unique to Choquequirao
PERU lenge the Tongariro Alpine
Crossing as the country’s
Choquequirao, hidden across the deep Apurimac Valley, finest one-day walk.
are the stone llamas blanca
was the last Inca refuge from the conquistadors. There’s a

4
(white llama) figures. The
growing traveler buzz to see it ASAP. A cable car will squeal

NORTH
designs are inlaid into the
into life in 2017 (or possibly later; bureaucratic feet are drag-
lower terraces, forming a
ging), gliding as many as 3,000 visitors a day to the ruins in
WALES,
pattern of animals across
just 15 minutes. Visit in the early days, or take the four-day
the slopes.

UNITED
trek in Inca footsteps, and have a taste of Machu Picchu all
to yourself. You’ll encounter only a couple of visitors – plus

KINGDOM
the archaeologists who continue to peel back the jungle,
» DON'T MISS
which still cloaks two-thirds of the spectacular site.
Blaenau Ffestiniog’s
On the site of an aluminum

3
Llechwedd Slate Caverns
factory in the Conwy Val-
has a new deep-mine tour

THE AZORES,
ley, Surf Snowdonia wave
into the Stygian depths of
pool, featuring the longest
the Snowdonia region. The

PORTUGAL
human-made waves, is
caverns are North Wales’
the most headline-stealing
most popular attraction.
Blending amazing nature and cool Iberian culture, the example of the region’s
» DON'T MISS Azores offer accessibility from North America and reinvention. Meanwhile,
Paddle Sete Ciades, São Europe without the abundance of travelers who have Zip World at Penrhyn
VOLANTHEVIST/ GETTY IMAGES

Miguel’s twin crater lakes; recently discovered Iceland. The archipelago’s natural Quarry boasts the world’s
one is a deep blue, the other assets resemble an array of superlative sights pulled from fastest zip line, and Bounce
a brilliant turquoise. other destinations: lush Hawaiian volcanoes, medieval Below offers giant trampo-
Portuguese villages, gurgling Scandinavian hot springs, lines strung in the caverns
towering Irish cliffs and rugged Patagonian craters. But the beneath Blaenau Ffestiniog,
secret won’t last: the Azores saw a 31 percent increase in one-time capital of Wales’
tourism over the past year, so visit before things take off. slate mining industry.

52 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 5
SOUTH
AUSTRALIA
Its climate may be hot, but
South Australia offers the
coolest mix of world-class
» DON'T MISS
wine country, abundant
Visit at least a couple of the
produce festivals, stark and
13 distinct wine-growing
stunning tracts of pictur-
pictur
regions that help make
esque outback, and crowd-
South Australia responsible
free beaches that could
for nearly half of the conti-
conti
make even the Bahamas
nent's total wine output.
jealous. The Queen Mary 2
transatlantic ocean liner
is putting South Australia
on her travel list in 2017,
choosing to dock not only
in the state’s artistic capital,
Adelaide, but also taking in
the rustic charms of Kanga-
Kanga
roo Island. South Australia
is a delicious feast.

6
FROM TOP: JUSTIN FOULKES, KEN HORNBROOK/ GETTY IMAGES

AYSÉN, CHILE
There’s only one road into the Aysén region of Chilean
Patagonia. If you follow its unpaved contours from start
to finish, you’ll experience a kaleidoscopic journey where
» DON'T MISS
foggy fjords give way to brooding rainforests, bone-dry
The Calluqueo and San
grasslands and powder-blue lagoons. Shaped by the forces
Rafael Glaciers are more
of the Patagonian Ice Field, Aysén is an extreme landscape
accessible than ever thanks
in constant flux. But with fresh routes to glaciers, a boom-
to newly developed tour
ing craft-beer scene in remote hamlets, and a massive new
routes. Visit these cities of
nature reserve green-lit for national park status, Patagonia’s
blue ice before it’s too late.
last frontier has never been such a delight to explore.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 53

 8
TOP 10 REGIONS

7
COASTAL
THE TUAMOTUS, GEORGIA,
FRENCH POLYNESIA » DON'T MISS UNITED
STATES
Close your eyes, and imagine this: you land on a strip of
Cumberland Island is a
» DON'T MISS coral, surrounding a glinting lagoon of every hue from
slice of unspoiled paradise,
lapis lazuli to turquoise – a perfect ring of islets edged with You’ve probably heard
Tumakohua Pass has a with a mix of beaches,
sandbars and ruffled coconut trees. Remember that tropical of Savannah – that
fabulous array of fish life, forests, marshes, mudflats
paradise that appears in countless advertisements? Here’s Southern belle with a
especially in its concentration and tidal creeks. Stay the
the real thing. As if that weren’t enough, the Tuamotus stellar restaurant scene
of gray sharks at incoming night if you can (the
islands rank among the world’s best dive destinations, and and gorgeous 19th-century
tide. Go nose to nose with Greyfield Inn is a great –
that reputation has never been so justified: the number of mansions framed by oaks
them on a dive. and the only – option).
dive areas is growing, and a new live-aboard dive boat is dripping with Spanish
launching in 2017. moss. But most visitors
never know what lies just
“DIVING IN THE TUAMOTUS IS LIKE VISITING beyond: a coastline with
quirky towns, historic
AN UNDERWATER SAFARI PARK.”
treasures and wilderness-
Marco Delecluse, dive instructor on Rangiroa
covered islands. Hollywood
has taken notice and started
filming major movies here,
including the Baywatch
reboot, due out in spring.
If you’re seeking a coastal
getaway without the
crowds, go now, before
the secret’s out.

10
» DON'T MISS
Nothing beats landing on
THE
SKELLIG
RING,
IRELAND
A long time ago, far, far
Skellig Michael, the larger
away . . . a small band

9
of the two Skellig Islands,
of monks established a
and climbing the 600
hidden base on a remote,
treacherously steep stone
wave-pounded hunk of
steps to reach the chambers

PERAK, MALAYSIA
rock rising out of the
left by the monks.
Atlantic like a giant trian-
Perak’s capital, Ipoh, is nurturing a bloom of vintage-style gle. With a setting like this,
cafés and boutiques. The nucleus of this old-meets-new “IT’S NOT THE it’s no wonder the island,
» DON'T MISS
Ipoh’s signature dish
makeover is Kong Heng Block, surrounding the imagina- EASIEST TO Skellig Michael, made the
new Star Wars location list.
ZU DIAN YEOH/ GETTY IMAGES

tive Sekeping Kong Heng hotel. Here, cheerful joints like

ayam tague (chicken
Roquette Café, Burps & Giggles and Bits & Bobs pull a GET TO – AND To get to this far-flung isle,
and bean sprouts) reigns
supreme here. Locals
vibrant crowd to shop, dawdle and slurp ais kepal (ice balls). THAT’S THE you’ll have to take a boat
Meanwhile, guesthouse owners and tour guides on Pangkor trip from the Skellig Ring,
adore Restaurant Lou
Island are starting to lead sustainable nature walks and POINT.” perhaps Ireland’s most
Wong for its version.
village tours. In this sunbather’s paradise, an emerging focus John O’Sullivan, manager, charismatically wild and
Skellig Experience
on wildlife is a breath of fresh, sea air. emerald stretch of coastline.

54 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 2
TOP 10
CITIES CAPE
TOWN,
» DON'T MISS SOUTH
To reach Table Mountain’s
3,500-foot-high plateau,
AFRICA
Cape Town’s deceptively
you can ride the revolving
laid-back folk have been
cable car or hike up through
working hard to add cul-
Kirstenbosch National
tural and culinary cred to
Botanical Garden.
the Mother City’s famous
natural charms, cementing
“CAPE TOWN its reputation as an African
HAS AN AMAZ- city with a global outlook.
Local gastronomy is as
ING QUALITY impressive as the flat-
OF LIFE AND topped mass of Table
Mountain (pictured),
CAPTIVATES with historic wine estates
VISITORS AT in every direction, hip
markets selling the fruits of

1
FIRST SIGHT.” the Cape’s fertile terrain,
Liezel van Schalkwyk, concierge and inventive restaurants
winning global plaudits.
The art and design scene

BORDEAUX, FRANCE
will be given a boost in
September by the opening
» DON'T MISS They used to call her the “Sleeping Beauty,” but – though of the Zeitz Museum of
The Gironde riverfront is she’s hit the snooze button a few times – Bordeaux is now Contemporary Art Africa,
Bordeaux’s new focal point. wide awake and ready for action. The new LGV Sud-Ouest the world’s largest museum
At its epicenter is the Miroir high-speed railway line, due for completion in mid-2017, of contemporary African
d’Eau, an immense reflect- connects the city with Europe’s high-speed train network art and a post-industrial
ing pool; in summer, its and cuts travel time from Paris to just two hours. Its timing architectural marvel.
picturesque, cooling mist is a is perfect. The recently opened Cité du Vin continues the
magnet for the town. impressive redevelopment of the Garonne riverfront with
a state-of-the-art wine-lovers’ experience, and the city’s
gastronomic revolution keeps building on its own success.

3
TOP: PJPHOTO69/ GETTY IMAGES, ARTIE NG/ GETTY IMAGES

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Despite its reputation as a land of celebrities, health fanatics
and superficiality, LA has been gaining steam as a cultural
» DON'T MISS destination, and it's more accessible than ever. The 2016
Save a day for the beaches. Metro expansion has made getting from downtown to
Whether you head to Venice Santa Monica and everywhere in between much easier;
to see street performers or city initiative Car Free L.A. helps tourists navigate without
to Santa Monica pier, you’ll wheels; and almost 50 new hotels are in the works. This isn’t
see why the West Coast has just a beach town, it’s also a commerce capital, where movie
become such a big draw. producers and finance types mingle over sashimi and kale
salads. For more on LA, see this issue’s feature story (p. 68).

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 55

 5
» DON'T MISS
Crossing the over-water
OHRID,
MACEDONIA
Overlooking the extraor-
dinarily blue waters of its
eponymous lake, Ohrid
enjoys a stunning position
walkway past Lake Ohrid’s
cliffs takes you from the old that is best viewed from a
town to the small sandy cove boat. From the water you’ll
of Kaneo, perhaps Ohrid’s see the town’s terra-cotta
most idyllic place. roofs broken up by centu-
ries-old church spires (the
city claims to have once
“A CUP OF had 365) and overlooked by
COFFEE IN the turreted walls of Czar
Samuel’s castle. Ohrid has
THE OLD transformed itself from
PART OF THE Macedonia’s religious
center to its busiest holiday
CITY, THEN resort, and its beaches are
LUNCH BY the best by far in this oth-
erwise landlocked nation.
LAKE OHRID: However, a planned new

4
MY PERFECT lakeshore development will
likely change this sleepy
COMBINA- town forever, making now

MÉRIDA, MEXICO TION.” a great time to go.

Nikola Cuculeski,
Mérida’s cultural offering is like no other on the Yucatán professional tour guide
» DON'T MISS Peninsula (sorry, Cancún, you’ve got pretty beaches, but

7
party culture doesn’t count). On any given day you’ll find
SEOUL,
The secret to visiting the
a dizzying array of live music, art shows and dance perfor-
popular Maya site of Chichén

SOUTH
mances, and the booming culinary scene is hotter than a
Itzá, featuring astounding
habanero. Mérida has been designated the American Capital
pre–Hispanic structures 75
miles east of Mérida, is
getting there before the
of Culture, meaning visitors can expect a colossal cultural
extravaganza as organizers stage a series of large-scale events KOREA
throughout 2017. And here’s the kicker: the beautiful town The Korean capital is
crowds arrive. » DON'T MISS
ranks among the safest places in Mexico nowadays. striving to become a more
Join a tour at Seoul's
attractive and user-friendly

6
Changdeokgung Palace
metropolis. Following suc-
for access to the Huwon, a
cessful projects such as the
“secret garden” that’s a royal
Cheonggyecheon, where
horticultural idyll.

PISTOIA, ITALY
an aging elevated highway
was replaced with a park
Pistoia is sometimes referred to as “little Florence” for its and waterway, the city will
» DON'T MISS concentration of art and architecture. But despite its unveil in late 2017 the Seoul
The beating heart of Pistoia charms, this Tuscan town sees just a fraction of Florence’s Skygarden. This time, the
tourists. That’s set to change in 2017, when the city will old highway in question –
CELIA HUECK/GETTY IMAGES

is Piazza della Sala, a market

square since medieval times. take its turn as Italy’s Capital of Culture. Pistoia earned the a 3,077-foot-long, 55-foot-
Come evening, the piazza title in recognition of its impressive cultural credentials and tall overpass – will become
transforms into an outdoor devotion to grassroots ideas and local entrepreneurship. The the platform on which
lounge bar. award offers the city a chance to showcase an alternative trees, shrubs and flowers
to Tuscany: one that eschews grand-slam sights in favor of will be planted to create an
small towns full of personality and dynamic, living culture. arboretum of local species.

56 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 8
TOP 10 CITIES

LISBON, PORTUGAL
It has sights, culture and cuisine, yet Lisbon is rarely
mentioned alongside southern European heavyweights such
» DON'T MISS as Barcelona and Rome. If this mystifying lack of recogni-
The Miradouro de Santa tion is what helps the Portuguese capital remain a bargain,
Catarina (a viewpoint in long may it continue. Add the weakness of the euro, and
boho Santa Catarina) offers the city looks like an unbeatable deal. If you need more
fantastic views of Lisbon. persuasion, consider the museums: from Egyptian artifacts
Reach it via the Elevador da at Calouste Gulbenkian Museum to pop art at Berardo
Bica funicular. Collection Museum, Lisbon has plenty, and one devoted to
the history of Judaism in Portugal is coming in 2017.

9
MOSCOW,
RUSSIA
Russia may not have
revealed all its Revolution-
10
» DON'T MISS
Portland is a city of
PORTLAND, OREGON
Portland is America’s city of the future: a friendly,
sustainable and ethical place that values good living and
leisure over acquisitiveness and ambition. Bisected by the
Willamette River and surrounded by peaks, it is also a
preternaturally attractive place. What better spot could
» DON'T MISS centennial plans, but it’s
gardens, most famously there be for viewing one of nature’s great spectacles: the
Moscow’s revamped green as clear as a crenelated total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. Although the eclipse
the International Rose Test
spaces, Gorky Park and Kremlin facade that there will be partial in Portland, drive a few miles south into the
Garden, which will celebrate
Hermitage Gardens, are now will be radical changes in Willamette Valley or hike up Mount Hood and you’ll be cast
its centennial in 2017.
centers of urban life, with art Moscow. The city will host in the moon’s deep umbra between 9:06 a.m. and 11:38 a.m.
exhibitions, music festivals, soccer matches in the 2017
street food, dance classes Confederations Cup and
and public bike paths. the 2018 FIFA World Cup,
so the race is on to bring an
inkling of the ultra-modern
“I REALLY to a metropolis renowned
LOVE THE for bombastic architecture.
The new Zhukovsky airport
VARIETY and a new metro line will
HERE, mean an all-time high in
connectivity, and Moscow
PARTICU- will gain a blockbuster
LARLY WITH attraction in the Polytechnic
TOP: MATT MUNRO; BOTTOM: ERIK ISAKSON/ GETTY IMAGES

Museum and Educational

PLACES Center, a science museum
TO EAT.” being relocated to a
Kasenia Kurilova, dramatic building in the
marketing manager Vorobyovy Gory hills.

For more on the hottest destinations,

trends and travel experiences, see
Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2017 book
and lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 57

 CLOSE
ENCOUNTERS
of the
FURRED KIND
On the banks of Canada’s Hudson Bay, residents in the isolated town
of Churchill, Manitoba, live in perpetual fear of polar bear attacks, yet
depend on the mighty carnivores for their livelihoods.

BY MARCEL THEROUX @therouvian

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JONATHAN GREGSON @gregsonjonathan
 “WHILE THE ICE IS
FORMING, 800 TO 900
B E A R S A R E AT L A R G E
IN THE AREA AROUND
T H E T O W N.”

60 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

Every Halloween, Bob Windsor drives his truck out to the // Above, from left: Churchill I look at the man through my binoculars. He notices me
rocks that edge the steely waters of Hudson Bay and scans steps up its polar bear alert watching him and slithers out of sight into the rocks. I tell
program on Halloween night.
the shoreline for polar bears. A bandolier of shotgun car- Helicopters patrol the town and Windsor that the man seems determined to become bear
tridges is slung over his seat’s headrest. take visitors on bear-spotting food. “That’s what I was thinking too,” Windsor says. “If he
Windsor carries three guns and a range of ammunition: safaris. // Opposite: Tundra ends up being taken, at least we’ll find his orange toque.”
Buggies are tricked out with all
blanks to frighten bears off with noise, paintball rounds that modern conveniences, allowing Keeping the human population of Churchill safe from
deliver a painful sting, and, for the most desperate circum- close-up, safe views of the bears bears is a year-round endeavor, but the effort peaks in bear
stances, lead slugs the size of a AA battery – accurate only in their natural environment. season. In October and November every year, polar bears
at short range, but one of them can stop a rampaging half- that have been forced off their seal-hunting grounds by the
ton animal bent on taking a human life. In the six years that melting of the Hudson Bay’s ice arrive in the area to await
Windsor has been in charge of the town of Churchill’s polar the winter freeze. As soon as the ice is strong enough to
bear alert program, he’s had to use the slugs twice. carry them, they vanish onto the bay. But during the weeks
“What’s incredible about the bears is their speed and while the ice is forming, 800 to 900 bears are at large in the
stealth,” he says. “They lay down somewhere and you just area around the town.
don’t see them.” The critical date in Windsor’s diary is October 31, when
Compact and whiskered, Windsor projects the alertness the 200 or so children of Churchill take to the streets in
and physical confidence of a natural hunter, but he’s look- Halloween costumes. “The big focus is the trick-or-treat-
ing at something that bothers him. A man in an orange hat ing. That’s what we man-up for,” Windsor says. He has 15
is hunkered down between two rocks on the beach, about units on patrol: five of his own and 10 drawn from the police,
50 yards beyond the signs warning against walking in the emergency services and utility companies. Their task is to
area. Windsor has chased two bears out of town in the past prevent an encounter between children hungry for candy
24 hours, both close to this point, where a traditional inuk- and polar bears hungry for pretty much anything.
shuk, an Inuit stone marker, stands as a navigation aid for Just after 3:30 p.m., a helicopter makes a circuit of the
kayakers and hunters. town and pronounces it bear-free. About an hour later, the

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 61

 // In Inuit folklore, polar
bears were humans when
inside their own homes, only
wearing bear hides when
outside. // Opposite: Bob
Windsor keeps watch for
trespassing bears.

POLAR
BEAR first groups of children appear on the snowy streets, some now the only way to see the bears is on a tour of Churchill
with their parents, some without. The light turns gold and Wildlife Management Area or Wapusk National Park.
SAFETY fades, and the temperature drops. Four-year-old Emily Rob- The animals can be viewed from the air by helicopter, or
Polar bears are naturally ertson is a pirate; her sister Natalie is Winnie the Pooh. A on specially built Tundra Buggies that trundle 15-odd miles
curious, and agile consid- boy is dressed as Harry Potter’s Ron Weasley; also present out from the city into the elemental landscape of snow,
ering their size. If you’re are a scary clown, a girl in a pumpkin costume, and assort- rocks, stunted Arctic willow and frozen water.
traveling in polar bear
country, you should read ed vampires and ghouls. As darkness falls, there is a sudden, During the three days I spent in the Churchill Wildlife
detailed advice on what morbid thrill in knowing that somewhere out there lurks Management Area, I counted 48 separate encounters with
to do if you encounter a something genuinely worthy of our fear. polar bears: poking under the snow with their long, black
bear unexpectedly. Your
strategy should be differ- tongues, scratching themselves on willow bushes, sprawling
ent depending on whether Churchill has a complicated relationship with its comically on kelp beds, play-fighting, standing up on their
the bear is unaware of bears. They are both an economic opportunity and an hind legs to peer curiously inside the vehicle. I saw sibling
your presence, curious
or actually aggressive; in existential danger. The tiny town – population about 800 – bears, mother bears traveling with grown cubs, and huge
any case, you should keep was established in the 18th century and has been variously a lone male bears with faces scarred from the vicious compe-
movements slow except fur-trading post, a military base and a port. Today its economy tition for mates. The strange enchantment of watching the
in the extreme event of bears never palled.
an attack, and never run. depends on nature tours. Churchill is the self-described
For more information, do “polar bear capital of the world.” It hosts 10 times its popu- The animals have an incredible allure. I found them huge,
an online search for “you lation in tourists, who come to see the bears. Nowhere else charismatic, otherworldly. Cuddly and menacing, comic and
are in polar bear country” on Earth can you see polar bears so close, so reliably and in melancholy, they are the Tony Soprano of mammals. Watch-
to see the Parks Canada
information leaflet such great numbers. ing them for hours, as they cavorted, relaxed, munched kelp
(pc.gc.ca). Until 2005, a large open-air dump drew bears to town, and sparred gently with one another, I could never quite
and tourists could have a cheap – and dangerous – polar bear rid myself of the thought that I was looking at humans in
safari by renting a vehicle and driving there (“They were fat, bear suits. There is something deeply uncanny about them:
garbage-fed bears,” Windsor says). The dump has closed and their size, idiosyncratic stiff-legged gait, huge paws and oddly

62 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

“SOMEWHERE
OUT THERE
LURKS
SOMETHING
G E N U I N E LY
WORTHY OF
O U R F E A R .”
 ing, I wondered if I were a participant on a bear safari, or the
inmate of a human zoo. A massive logistical effort makes it
possible for visitors to see polar bears in safety and comfort
outside Churchill. Equal ingenuity is expended preventing
them from encountering polar bears while they’re in it.
It’s broadly true to say that the polar bear is the largest
predator on Earth, but the statement demands some qual-
ification. Orcas are bigger, but aquatic. And some scientists
suggest that it would be more accurate to think of polar bears
as marine mammals. At the northern end of their range,
polar bears are conceived, born and live their entire lives on
the ice. Those in the western Hudson Bay area are one of
only two populations that spend their summers on land. As
they are adapted to hunt from the ice, they pass the summer
months in a state of “walking hibernation,” conserving ener-
gy, burning their stored fat, and waiting for the bay to freeze.
Some might be lucky enough to find a beached seal.
They can be resourceful too. Helicopter pilot Erik Polzin
describes how he watched a bear waiting for hours on a
gradually submerging rock until it managed to entice a baby
beluga whale into its paws: “He ripped its face off and ate it
like a Slim Jim.”
But the polar bear is not simply an object of fear. On the
streets of Churchill, I bump into Vonda McPherson, walking
her dog, Chocolate, a skittish half-husky, half-wolf. McPher-
son tells me she had First Nations Cree ancestry on both
sides of her family, and her native forebears regarded the bear
with awe and respect. ”I know that in our culture the polar
bear is seen as a guardian,” she explains.
Churchill’s townsfolk are well-schooled in the dangers
of living within range of these hungry predators. Residents
don’t walk around alone at night. They avoid the shortcuts
between the low-slung prefabricated houses that make up
the town. They stay well away from the beach, where the
rocks and snow can easily conceal a lurking bear. The man
with the orange hat was, almost certainly, a foolish – and
lucky – visitor. The town has regular polar bear patrols, po-
lar bear traps (long raised metal tubes baited with seal meat)
human five-toed footprints. The Inuit traditionally credited and a polar bear hotline that residents are instructed to call
the nanuq, as they call the bears, with supernatural powers, at the first sign of a bear. Windsor’s teams respond to the
and even today Inuit hunters will avoid speaking about the callouts; they scare the animals out of town, chasing them on
polar bear, fearing its ability to overhear and understand dis- foot and firing blanks or paintball ammunition to keep them
tant human conversations. on the move.
An entire industry has grown up around Churchill’s Some bears require stronger deterrence. Stubborn recidi-
bears. The Tundra Buggies in which visitors view the animals vist bears get darted and taken off to polar bear jail: a gloomy,
are enormous and heated, built up high on huge axles, with windowless hangar on the outskirts of town, where they’re
viewing platforms at the rear. In October and November, kept in separate cells and given only water for 30 days. Once
mobile luxury hotels are stationed out on the tundra, like a the time is up, or when the ice has formed, they’re carted out
// This page: Locals avoid strange combination of safari lodge and lunar base. to the bay by truck, or flown north by helicopter. On the day
walking alone at night. Vonda In the luxurious isolation of the lodges, guests rub shoul- I meet Windsor, the jail – or polar bear holding center, as it’s
McPherson walks with her dog,
Chocolate. An Inuit navigational ders with scientists conducting research, make trips to the officially known – had 12 furry inmates. Windsor categori-
marker. // Opposite, from left: tundra, and return to dine on braised venison and Arctic cally refuses to let me go inside. “We don’t want the animals
Erin Greene survived a polar char. I found the experience of living aboard for several days to get used to human beings, and it’s a question of liability,”
bear attack. Climate change is
thought to be forcing polar bears thrilling, but mildly claustrophobic. Watching the bears lope he says. “We had our last fatality in 1983, and that’s a record
inland for longer periods. past the window of my bunk at night and in the early morn- we want to stand for a long time.”

64 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 MORE
BEAR
WATCHING
GRIZZLY BEARS
You are practically
guaranteed to see these
brown bears – perhaps as
they fish for salmon – at
Alaska’s Denali and
Katmai National Parks.
Other good bets are
Kodiak Island, on Alaska’s
south coast, home to the
world’s largest grizzlies,
and Admiralty Island,
in southeastern Alaska,
which boasts about one
bear per square mile. A
tour operator such as
Audley Travel (audleytravel
.com) can help you plan.

SPECTACLED BEARS
Also known as the Andean
Later that Halloween night it is the adults’ turn to party. town, you just have to keep going,” she adds. “The first one bear, these small, shy,
A bar called the Dark Side is full of locals in costume. People that I saw afterward was by the bay. I still love them. I think tree-dwelling mammals
are marking the occasion with the enthusiasm you’d expect they’re just a kind of magical creature, you know. They’re live in the Andes Moun-
tains on the western side of
in a tiny town where not much happens. Half a dozen party- powerful, they’re beautiful. It’s hard to put into words, but South America. The rings
goers are dressed as Lego bricks, a very tall man has come as being that connected to that animal, I feel like I understand of light-colored fur around
Death, and there are several penguins, Storm Troopers and more about animals in general and what they have to go their eyes are individually
pirates, plus Wolverine, Indiana Jones, Waldo and the Cat in through, because I felt what it was like to be their prey and unique, like a human’s
fingerprint. This is the
the Hat, but interestingly, no polar bears. to fight for my life.” only bear species on the
Erin Greene has come as ballerina Nina Sayers from Black The Halloween attack was the town’s most serious in continent. Spectacled
Swan. In 2013 she came as Cyndi Lauper. On the way home decades. Many people in Churchill work hard to make sure bears are endangered and
an exhilarating – but rare –
from the party that year she was attacked by a polar bear. that Greene’s terrifying experience is never repeated. Stand- spotting. High Lives Travel
“As he was running towards me, the first thought I had ing in their way are the human tendencies to be cavalier or (highlives.co.uk) has a trip
was, ‘Ah, he’s so cute!’ Greene says. Petite and elfin, Greene complacent – the orange hat phenomenon – the natural to Peru that includes a visit
to Chaparrí Reserve, which
displays no apparent injuries and retells the events with a instincts of the polar bear and, increasingly, climate change. houses rescued bears.
smile, but it was a long convalescence. A week after my conversation with Greene, winter is pal-
“The bear towered over me. I knew I was screwed,” she pably closer. By November 5, the wind is howling. In the GIANT PANDAS
recalls. “This was a bear that wanted to kill. I’ve done a lot of tundra beyond the town, the shallow ponds have iced over The Minshan Mountains
reading about it just to understand things, and . . . when a and polar bears are testing the thickness with their huge, of China’s Sichuan
bear is trying to kill someone they’re not interested in maul- tray-sized paws. Along the shoreline, grease ice – the slush province is one of the
few last wild habitats of
ing, they just want to take your head off. That’s what he was that precedes the proper freeze – is forming, but it’s nothing the giant panda. There
trying to do to me.” that would support the weight of a bear. It is cold, but not are some tours, such as
The animal lifted Greene five feet off the ground by yet cold enough. those by Natural Habitat
her head, while she swung punches at its face. Hearing her Out at the Tundra Buggy lodge, I meet the chief scien- Adventures and World
Wildlife Fund (nathab
screams, a neighbor ran out of his house and fought the bear tist of Polar Bears International, Steven Amstrup, who has .com), that will take you to
off with a shovel, sustaining serious injuries himself in the studied in the Arctic all his life. He says that, thanks to global research facilities, where
process. The bear didn’t flee until another neighbor got into warming, the bears are spending on average 30 days longer you can see the animals
up close, as well as to
his truck and charged it. Later that morning, Windsor shot on land than they were 20 years ago. For Churchill, that may remote nature reserves,
the animal dead. yet extend bear season beyond mid-November. It will also where you can look for
Both Greene and Bill Ayotte, the man who saved her life, make Bob Windsor’s job appreciably harder. For Windsor giant pandas in the wild.
still live in Churchill. “I think it’s good for people to see us,” and the other residents of Churchill, the price of prosperity
Greene says. “If you love this town, and if you enjoy this is constant vigilance.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 65

 “IN OUR
C U LT U R E T H E
POLAR BEAR
IS SEEN AS A
G UA R D I A N.”
MAKE IT HAPPEN / Churchill, Manitoba
GETTING THERE
Though Winnipeg is the nearest big city to Churchill, it’s
still more than 600 miles away. Winnipeg International
Airport is about 5 miles west of downtown. It has service to
cities across Canada and to major hubs in the U.S. Regional
carriers handle remote excursions. Charter flights to Chur-
chill booked as part of tours (see below) often can be less
expensive. It is possible to travel to Churchill by train, but
it takes around 45 hours from Winnipeg.

WHERE TO STAY
Churchill’s limited number of hotel rooms book up early in
polar bear season, often a year in advance. Polar Inn & Suites
(from $130 in season; polarinn.com) and Tundra Inn ($265 in
season; tundrainn.com) have motel-style rooms.

TOUR OPERATORS
Most polar bear enthusiasts visit Churchill as part of an
organized tour. Frontiers North Adventures (frontiersnorth
.com) offers a range of trips to the area in polar bear season,
from a one-day charter flight excursion out of Winnipeg
(from $1,549) to an 11-night tour that goes far out of town
to Cape Churchill (from $11,799). Guests head out on
a Tundra Buggy (pictured) to see the bears; some tours
include accommodations aboard the vehicles, as well as in
Churchill and Winnipeg.

MORE TO SEE
While polar bears are the star attraction in Churchill,
there is more to see in the Arctic community. Two of our
picks are the Itsanitaq Museum (aka the Eskimo Museum)
and Cape Merry. The one-room museum showcases an
exceptional collection of Inuit carvings made of whalebone,
soapstone and caribou antler. Other standouts include
a stuffed polar bear and a musk ox, narwhal horns and
original hide-covered kayaks. Cape Merry, about a mile
northwest of town, is a beautiful location that is included
in cultural tours of Churchill. A lone cannon behind a
crumbling wall is all that’s left of the battery built here.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Lonely Planet’s Canada ($27.99)
covers Churchill and Winnipeg in
its “Manitoba” chapter, which you
can download from lonelyplanet
.com ($4.95).

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 67

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 Mile
1 DOWNTOWN LA At 6:27 a.m., I stood in the shadow of Union a blessing and curse. In Los Angeles you can do anything, become anyone.
Station in downtown Los Angeles. Framed by slender Mexican fan Industries, religions, cults and fads have been invented and reinvented here,
palms and stylishly illuminated, its Spanish arches and bell tower glowed a deep along with countless faces, bodies, lives and careers. Yet, it lacks cohesion. It’s
blue. “I’m walking to the beach,” I mentioned to a security guard nearby. My a city of distinct neighborhoods quilted together, which makes it daunting
destination, to be reached by day’s end, was about 26 miles away down a for a visitor. Our gifts are often cloaked and overlooked.
single street: Sunset Boulevard. Sunset Boulevard bridges many of those barrios and operates as a portal to
“Good luck with that,” she said dismissively. I shrugged and turned toward the city’s soul. It’s teeming with artists and immigrants, rebels and renegades,
the Terminal Annex post office across the street, where Charles Bukowski dreamers and superstars. I know because I’ve walked this famed route’s full
– the drunken “laureate of American lowlife,” as Time referred to him – length once before, back in March 1999, when I had a day job and fantasized
had worked for 12 years and where his classic novel, Post Office, takes place. of writing my way around the world. Since then I’ve been fortunate enough
I paused to think about my town. to gain a few successes as a writer, earned some battle scars, and now that
I’m a rare third-generation Angeleno, and when people ask what I love LA has hit a millennial-driven cultural renaissance, I was interested to go in
about LA, I say that it’s the most open-minded city in America. That’s both search of what had changed.

70 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 From far left:
Union Station // Dodger
Stadium // Pork with
cherry reduction at
Ostrich Farm // Jaime
Turrey and Brooke
Fruchtman, owners of
Ostrich Farm

“LA has hit a millennial-driven

cultural renaissance.”
Mile
2 ECHO PARK I stepped past the dormant taquerias of Olvera Unassuming Ostrich Farm, one of the farm-to-table kitchens that make the
Street – where the scent of smoldering chilies filtered through the Eastside food scene so exciting, is the best of the bunch. “It’s a neighborhood
original Mexican settlement, Pueblo de Los Angeles – and pressed on to restaurant,” said Brooke Fruchtman, who owns it with her husband, chef
LA’s neighborhood of the moment: Echo Park. South of Sunset were the Jaime Turrey. “Ninety percent of our customers are local.”
wonderfully restored Victorians of Angelino Heights and the lotus blossoms I’d dined there the night before, and my favorite dish was a take on a
of Echo Park Lake, while on street level tasteful small businesses stood ceviche tostada with thin slices of spiced scallops and octopus layered with
shoulder to shoulder near the turnoff to the mid-century gem that is Dodger mango on pappadam. It tasted like the new Echo Park itself: complex and
Stadium, home to baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers for more than 50 years. creative, with Latin tang.
Seventeen years ago, I walked this stretch in a downpour, and took shelter Gentrification comes in waves, often organically. Pioneering artists and
among the gangsters, grandmothers, working people and school children, students desperate for cheap rent are followed by those with the liquid to
almost all of whom were Latino and patronized inexpensive clothing stores buy homes and attract businesses to serve them. Turrey, whose grandparents
and Mexican bakeries. Now there are high-end vintage shops, designer- are from Mexico, and Fruchtman arrived in 2014 when Echo Park was already
owned boutiques, and chic cafés and bars patronized by moneyed hipsters. hot, and leased a building that had been vacant for two years.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 71

 “Distinct neighborhoods
are quilted together.”
Mile
5 EAST HOLLYWOOD Just before 9 a.m., after cruising the uber- she said of her twin constituencies. “It’s the most diverse district in the city,
hip Silver Lake neighborhood, I landed in a jumble of Armenian delis and it’s going through a face-lift.” Trouble is, in Hollywood, face-lifts don’t
and bakeries, Thai noodle kitchens and sweet shops. A collage of signage always turn out so well.
overlapped in three languages. Some call East Hollywood Little Armenia; While Echo Park has evolved one small business at a time, Hollywood is
others call it Thai Town. becoming what Yerimyan called, “a mini downtown,” thanks to top-down
“The communities developed together,” said Tereza Yerimyan, president development of high-rises offering retail, office and residential space at a
of the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council. Thousands of Armenians premium. Yerimyan pointed to a 20-floor building slated to take the place
immigrated in the 1950s, and nearly 50,000 more came in the 1970s when of Amoeba Music, LA’s last great record store and a Hollywood landmark,
word spread about the climate, well-paid work on movie sets, and affordable near where the Walk of Fame wanders down to Sunset from Hollywood
housing. After the fall of the Soviet Union, still others arrived through the Boulevard. “It will bring a new population, but not ethnic families,” she said.
green card lottery. That’s when Yerimyan moved here from Armenia as a Yerimyan, a tireless community advocate, has helped defeat other mega
young girl, just as the Thai community started to flourish. “We share the same projects, and continues to fight to preserve her authentic, multi-layered
values and have similar needs, like low income and senior citizen housing,” neighborhood – the kind that makes most cities great.

72 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 From far left:
Armenian genocide
mural in Little Armenia
// egg- and cheese-filled
breads from Mush
bakery // Andaz Hotel
rooftop in West Hollywod,
overlooking Sunset
Boulevard // Beverly
Hills City Hall

Mile
10 SUNSET STRIP As market forces and tastemakers gather in the Bar & Grill, once a hair rocker’s playpen. Today, it’s often deserted, but
east, Sunset Strip – the 1.5-mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard that was Kilmister is still there, immortalized in bronze.
once LA’s nightlife vortex – has suffered. Some of the clubs where legends
like Bob Marley, the Doors and Guns N’ Roses exploded onto the American Mile
12 BEVERLY HILLS & BEL AIR I paid my respects then skirted
music scene are still standing, but others have closed. Even though the Strip’s the garden mansion district of Beverly Hills, where neatly manicured
luxury hotels remain relevant and blessed with superlative views (none better gardens, immense villas, and Will Rogers Memorial Park, with its elegant
than from the pool of the Andaz) contemporary nightlife trends toward the palms and gurgling fountain, are begging for the odd pedestrian to absorb
DIY, indie aesthetic of LA’s Eastside – Silver Lake, Echo Park and Downtown their grace. Meanwhile the land of no sidewalks where Sunset snakes along
LA – rather than the dated set piece glamour of yesterday’s Sunset Strip. the base of the Bel Air hills is all about the automobile. I marched through
Fantasy has been swapped for realism, and sure, LA feels smarter now, but sprawling ivy patches, on trails blazed by domestic workers, and dodged
it’s less uninhibited. The December 2015 loss of musician Lemmy Kilmister onrushing traffic charging 50 mph around blind corners. West LA landmarks
was the perfect metaphor for the Strip’s demise. Kilmister, who led the heavy revealed themselves near and far: UCLA, the Getty Center art museum and
metal band Motörhead, was a regular at its most storied dive, the Rainbow a completely gridlocked 405 freeway.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 73

 Sunset Boulevard
meets the Pacific Coast
Highway, aka the PCH //
Opposite: Los Angeles
is surrounded with
legendary surfing spots.
// A lifeguard tower
along the PCH

“In Los
Angeles
you can do
anything,
become
anyone.”

Mile
20 PACIFIC PALISADES The last six miles proved to be torture. and would build his Self-Realization Fellowship into a benevolent empire.
My legs ached, my feet bled. I plugged in my headphones and kept In addition to the Lake Shrine, he has a temple farther east in Hollywood and
moving. All day I’d stepped around and over my city’s discards. Farther east another on Mount Washington, north of downtown. In many ways his story
there had been homeless people sleeping on cardboard pillows and addicts is quintessential LA. He was a creative eccentric with a big heart and enough
nodded off in wheelchairs; now it was old clothes, tire fragments, way too charisma, vision and faith to expand to the zenith. Another supernova in a
much plastic waste and a dead rat. I shut my eyes trying to smell the rain city, on a boulevard, of dreamers and doers.
that had spontaneously drenched me on a Hollywood sidewalk hours ago, I paused and took my last swig of water, smiled, then kept moving, one
and when I opened them the discarded had morphed into manicured rose painful step at a time. Each one became easier than the last, thanks to the
gardens, stunning estates, and the green mountains of the Pacific Palisades. broadening ocean view before me and my own forward momentum. I arrived
When I reached the entrance to the Riviera Country Club, the first glimpse at the sea as the sun was setting, just before 7 p.m. A burnt orange aftershock
of Pacific blue flashed in the distance. This was a welcome tease, and helped spread across the sky. Behind me, a bustling boulevard, ever evolving and
to inspire me when I was starting to slip. With just over a mile to go, the road filled with possibility, wrapped around a bend and disappeared. I kicked off
rose up for the last time, and the ocean spread out beyond the famed Lake my shoes and dived in.
Shrine spiritual sanctuary.
I’d reached Paramahansa Yogananda’s planned paradise, a public meditation Adam Skolnick, author of One Breath: Freediving, Death and the Quest to Shatter Human
garden, where some of Gandhi’s ashes are buried. Yogananda was one of the Limits, has contributed to more than 30 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the latest
first yoga masters to teach in America. He arrived in LA in 1920, penniless, Los Angeles, San Diego & Southern California guide.

74 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

MAKE IT HAPPEN /
Sunset Boulevard

MAP KEY
1 Union Station 11 Amoeba Music
2 Terminal Annex 12 Andaz West Hollywood
3 Pueblo de Los Angeles 13 Rainbow Bar & Grill
4 Dodger Stadium 14 Will Rogers Memorial Park
5 Ostrich Farm 15 Bel Air
6 Echo Park 16 Getty Center
7 Silver Lake 17 Riviera Country Club
8 Church of Scientology 18 Pacific Palisades
9 East Hollywood 19 Self Realization Fellowship
10 St. Garabed Armenian Church Lake Shrine Temple

STAY EAT
Petit Ermitage Ostrich Farm
An eclectic art collection adorns This is Sunset Boulevard’s finest
the walls of this hotel, a link to its farm-to-table New American kitchen.
namesake, the Hermitage, in Russia. The craftsman cocktails work, too.
A Mediterranean theme is carried ostrichfarmla.com
through the former apartment building,
which has a members-only rooftop. Jitlada
From $300 Expect a wait at this superlative
petitermitage.com Southern Thai kitchen that offers dishes
you can’t find anywhere else in LA.
Andaz West Hollywood jitladala.com
Its former life was as the famed
Hollywood Hyatt House – aka the Riot Van Bakery
House – where Led Zeppelin drummer Get your sugar craving sated by the
John Bonham once roared through best baklava in the city here, in Little
the halls on his Harley. These days it’s Armenia.
got a clean, modern boutique feel and (323) 466-2450
marvelous views.
From $289 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Download
Lonely Planet’s free Guides app
westhollywood.andaz.hyatt.com (lonelyplanet.com/guides) and see
discoverlosangeles.com.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 75

MAGICAL
MYANMAR

The last country in Southeast Asia to open up to tourism is making up for

lost time. Get a slow introduction to its charms on a riverboat cruise to an
ancient city of temples, then travel across the plains into hill country, for
rewarding hikes in rural villages.
By Oliver Berry | PhOtOgraPhs By andrew MOntgOMery

// The RV Katha Pandaw, a riverboat on the Irrawaddy. // Opposite, from left:

Balancing water pots in the river village of Yandabo; Captain Thein Swe Oo (seated)
and his son Min Min on the deck of the Tai Win.
THE RIVER Captain Thein Swe Oo has worked MYANMAR OR BURMA?
Early morning is always the busiest time of day on Mandalay’s waterfront. as an Irrawaddy boatman for 25 years, “Bama” has long been the col-
starting as a deckhand. Dressed in a loquial name of the country in
Moored along the riverbanks of Myanmar’s second city, scores of boats are the language of its majority
being loaded for their journeys. Passengers cram onto ferries, searching for loose shirt and the baggy Burmese sa- Bamar people, while “Myan-
space on crowded decks. Porters carry on crates of fruit and sacks of rice, bal- rong-like garment known as a longyi, ma” is the formal or written
he’s now in charge of his own vessel, equivalent. In 1989 the military
ancing loads on their heads as they cross planks leaning against the gunwales. junta decided to change the
Beside the keels, children splash and somersault in the water while villagers a double-decked ferry called Tai Win. English name of the country
from the nearby shanty town rinse their clothes in the shallows. Then, car- “It takes many years to know the from Burma to Myanmar. The
goes stored, the boats pull away from the banks, turning into the current with Ayeyarwady,” he says, manning the new name was initially reject-
ed by pro-democracy leader
a chug and a belch of diesel smoke before disappearing downstream. helm while his son Min Min scans Aung San Suu Kyi, and many
Known in the Myanmar language, or Burmese, as the Ayeyarwady, the the river ahead for obstacles. “There followed her example.
Irrawaddy is the longest river within the country, unfurling 1,350 miles from are many sandbanks and channels,
its source near the Tibetan border to the Andaman Sea. Bisecting the country and the currents change often. I
into east and west, the Irrawaddy is to Myanmar, also known as Burma, what know it quite well, but even now the river sometimes catches me by surprise.”
the Ganges is to India: half spiritual symbol, half industrial thoroughfare. The sun sets toward the trees, turning the river from tea brown to terra
In the days before the British built the country’s first railways and mod- cotta red. Puffing on his cigar, the captain guides the boat to its overnight
ern roads, the Irrawaddy carried most of the country’s traffic. It’s still busy mooring at the pottery-producing village of Yandabo. River sounds –
with boats today. Barges stacked with timber hug the deep-water channels, screeching birds, keening crickets, the slap and gloop of water against the
chugging past fishermen casting their nets and ramshackle ferries commuting banks – replace the drone of the motor.
between the river villages. As his father weighs anchor, Min Min dishes up the evening meal: river
But the Irrawaddy is more than a glorified motorway; it’s a sacred river, catfish, cooked on an iron stove that sends swirls of gray smoke into the sky.
too. Along the banks, whitewashed stupas, domelike Buddhist shrines con- Dusk turns to darkness, and the deck lights flicker on, white bulbs reflecting
taining the ashes of saints or other holy relics, line the water’s edge. Mon- in the black water. “It is a good life on the river,” the captain says, leaning
asteries appear along the shoreline, their tiered roofs rising from a canopy against the Tai Win’s wheelhouse. “I have worked my whole life on the water.
of palm and bamboo. Occasionally, golden pagodas glint amongst the trees, Now, I find it hard to be in the city – too much traffic, too much noise. The
their gilded tops flashing in the sunlight. river is where I belong.”

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 77

 // The view from
Shwesandaw temple
in Bagan, taking in the
ornate Myauk Guni (in
the foreground, at left) and
the stupa of Dhammayazika
(in the distance, at right).

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

78 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 THE PLAINS
About 115 river miles from Mandalay, novice monk Ashin Wila Tha removes
his sandals and steps from the fierce afternoon heat into a crumbling Buddhist
temple in Old Bagan, located on a bend in the Irrawaddy.
“This way,” he says. It’s cool and dark inside, but a few threads of light are
enough to illuminate the temple’s inhabitant: a huge reclining Buddha, 59 feet
long and 16 feet tall, fashioned from stone as smooth and white as marble, his
face fixed in a permanent beatific smile.
“This is one of the largest reclining Buddhas in Bagan,” the monk explains,
pulling some candles from beneath his scarlet robes. He lights the candles and
arranges them on the statue’s outstretched hand. “Some people say he is just
sleeping, but to others he is in parinirvana: the moment of death and enlight-
enment.” Ashin Wila Tha leans over the candles and says a prayer, then pads
into the darkness to light sticks of incense in an alcove, filling the air with the
heady aroma of jasmine and patchouli.
In any other country, this superb statue would be thronged by tour-
ists, but among the great temples of the Bagan plains, it’s almost a forgotten
footnote. Sprawling along the sunbaked eastern bank of the Irrawaddy, Bagan
is Myanmar’s largest sacred site, a complex of more than 2,000 temples cover-
ing a site of some 40 square miles. It was built at a hectic rate between the 11th
and 13th centuries by a succession of the country’s ancient kings.
It’s thought that Bagan once counted at least twice as many temples as
it does today, but many have long since crumbled into dust, victims of the
ravages of time or the frequent earthquakes that strike central Myanmar,
including a devastating one in 1975. A massive restoration program had
saved Bagan’s most important temples from collapse, but hundreds of tem-
ples and pagodas – including Ananda temple, with its four giant golden
Buddha statues – were damaged in last August’s powerful, 6.8-magnitude
quake. Other iconic structures damaged included Sulamani and Htilominlo
temples. Work to restore the ancient buildings could take up to three years.
Meanwhile, visitors continue to make their way to the sites, and the ruins.
The most famous temples are often crowded at sunrise and sunset, but
hundreds more lie far off the beaten track, lost along dusty lanes, obscured by
tangled thorn bushes and thickets of cotton grass. Inside, thousand-year-old
frescoes loom from the walls and crumbling statues meditate in the darkness,
guarded by bats and overrun by creepers and vines.
“I don’t think anyone has seen all of the temples in Bagan,” says Ashin Wila
Tha, emerging from the shadows into the warm light of early evening. “There
are too many. And anyway, I think it’s good that some things stay secret.”
He slips on his sandals and shuffles across the pagoda’s flagstones. Beyond
the gate, a horse cart rattles past, and the domes of the nearby temples disap-
pear behind a cloud of orange dust.

MIND YOUR MANNERS

Remove your shoes and socks in pagodas and temples. It’s often less of a
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

chore to wear flip-flops, as most Burmese do. Dress modestly in temples

(no shorts, short skirts or exposed shoulders). Feet are seen as unclean, so
don’t use them to point at things, and apologize if you accidentally brush
someone with yours. Don’t touch anyone’s head, and avoid blowing your
nose at the table.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 79

 // Chickpea-flour fritters;
local hiking and nature guide
Than Win Tun. // Opposite:
A Buddhist altar decorated
for Full Moon Day.

THE HILLS He stoops to pick some leaves sprouting by the trail’s edge. One of the
One hundred miles east of the Bagan plains, high in the hills above Kalaw, plants is a type of wild mint, he says; the other a natural antiseptic. “It’s good
the people of Pane-Ne-Pin village are preparing for a feast. It’s Full Moon for cuts and bruises,” he explains. “And you can make a tea from it when you
Day, the most auspicious day of the month in the Burmese calendar, and the have a cold. Nearly every plant can be used for something.”
villagers are getting ready to make the journey to their local monastery. Where once Kalaw’s hills would have been covered in ancient forests of
They’re dressed in their best outfits: striped turbans, pink longyi, and pur- teak, fig and banyan, over the past century much of the land has been cleared
ple velvet jackets spangled with sequins, all sewn on by hand. A few of the for logging and agriculture. But gradually farmers are realizing the benefits
women are busy preparing a picnic, cooking chickpea-flour fritters in a heavy of keeping the forest intact, as a way of preventing soil erosion and retaining
pan over a smoldering wood fire. Others sort gifts for the monks from a pile underground water reservoirs.
of newly woven blankets in the village’s meeting house. Once they’re ready, “For a time, people forgot why the trees were important,” says Than Win
they set out along the valley, chatting and giggling as they trek past tin-roofed Tun, pausing to run his hand along the trunk of a gigantic fig tree. “But now
houses and terraces cloaked with plantations of orange and tea. they’re remembering. That makes me feel positive about the future.” He
Established by British governors more than a century ago as a summer hill rounds a bend in the trail and emerges on the outskirts of another village,
station where colonial families could escape from the suffocating heat of the where a group of pink-robed nuns sweep the shrine’s platform with bamboo
surrounding plains, Kalaw stands at an altitude of some 4,300 feet. Ringed by brooms and lay wreaths of jasmine flowers in honor of Full Moon Day.
hills and furrowed by valleys, the area enjoys a climate ideal for farming, and “Life in the hills never changes much,” Than Win Tun says, as incense
it’s become one of Myanmar’s most important agricultural regions, producing smoke fills the treetops, and the shrine’s prayer bells tinkle in the cool breeze.
much of the country’s fruit, vegetables and tea. More recently, Kalaw has be-
gun to draw hikers to its surroundings. Hundreds of old paths zigzag over the
hillsides, linking villages and plantations with the lowlands below. The most TRAVELING RESPONSIBLY
popular is the three-day path between Kalaw and Inle Lake, which winds Political and economic reforms in the past seven years are starting to move
Burma on from the legacy of the junta of 1962 to 2010; in recent years, the
across the spine of the Shan Hills. army has remained a behind-the-scenes presence, taking a slice of most
Than Win Tun has spent his life exploring the trails around Kalaw. He transactions, from park entry fees to hotel bills. Spread your money around
now works as a professional hiking and nature guide. “I don’t think I could by using local guides and services as much as possible; verify that your tour
operator is reputable; and try to buy from small shops and restaurants.
get lost here if I tried,” he says, striding along a dry path fringed by tea bushes,
his feet clad in a pair of battered flip-flops. “To me the hills are home.”

80 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

MAKE IT HAPPEN / Myanmar
GETTING THERE
Myanmar’s main international airport is in Yangon (formerly
known as Rangoon); international flights also arrive at Man-
dalay and Nay Pyi Taw airports. The most common route to
Yangon is via Bangkok, Thailand, though there are regular
direct flights with several other regional cities, including Sing-
apore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

GETTING A VISA
Apply to the Myanmar Embassy for a tourist visa, which is
valid for three months and allows visits of up to 28 days ($20;
mewashingtondc.com).

GETTING AROUND
A one-way fare between Yangon and Mandalay costs around
$100. There’s little to differentiate between the several main
local airlines, although Myanmar Airways has had a poor
safety record in recent years. It’s often cheaper and more
reliable to book flights through travel agents than via airline
websites; you can compare prices at oway.com.mm. Long-
distance buses are cheap but slow and rarely air-conditioned.
If you’re traveling in a group, it’s easier to rent a car and hire
a driver through a travel agent (such as ssttourism.com), for
about $50 to $330 per day.

ESSENTIALS
• An Irrawaddy River cruise makes a relaxed introduction to
this land of pagodas. Belmond’s river cruiser is one of the
more luxurious options ($1,050 for a three-day, two-night
excursion from Mandalay to Bagan; belmond.com).
• Sky Palace Hotel in New Bagan has air-conditioned rooms
and self-contained bungalows overlooking a walled garden
(from $50; skypalace.asia).
• Hill Top Villa Hotel, perched 4,300 feet up in the hills
above Kalaw, offers air-conditioned log cabins with porches
(from $55; hilltopvillakalaw.com).

WHO CAN HELP

Intrepid Travel, with offices in Petaluma, California, offers a
variety of Myanmar trips (from $1,915; intrepidtravel.com).

WHAT TO READ
See Lonely Planet’s Myanmar (Burma)
($29.99) guidebook. Thant Myint-U’s
The River of Lost Footsteps is a moving
account of the country’s past and pres-
ent, while Aung San Suu Kyi’s Letters
from Burma is a collection of correspon-
dence written during her house arrest.
For information on the country’s evolv-
ing political structure and economic situation, see the U.S.
Department of State’s website, state.gov.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 81

 PROMOTION

Finland: This Year’s

Perfect Stopover
With 40 national parks, unbelievable coastlines and the
Northern Lights at your fingertips, you’ll be glad you made
room for a few days in Finland.

Smart travelers look for stopovers to break up any center) and the pristine lakes and ancient rock
long haul trip, whether you’re going from New paintings of Hossa National Park (which becomes
York to Beijing or Miami to Delhi. With its central Finland’s 40th national park in 2017!). These
location at the edge of Europe and Asia, Finland is parks offer all kinds of camping, hiking, climbing,
an ideal place to spend a day or two and discover snowshoeing and more.
a new destination.
The Coast and Archipelago: Finland’s coast
Travel with Finnair via Helsinki and you can boasts the world’s largest archipelago, and it’s a
take advantage of the country’s new initiative, beauty. Old wooden towns, lighthouses, historical
StopOver Finland. This program includes manors and stone churches populate the region as
packages and services that are designed for large national parks stretch across land and sea.
individual travelers, with options suitable for
Lakeland: A journey up into Lakeland is a trip into
stays of anywhere from five hours to five days.
the heart of the Finnish identity. Travel through
Visitors taking part in the program can take part in
deep, green forests and rolling hills and enjoy
activities like jogging tours of Helsinki, excursions
lakeside cottages. Soak in a sauna and take a
throughout the country and even short trips to
dip in some refreshing lake waters. You’ll also
nearby cities like Stockholm and Tallinn.
find Savonlinna – this picturesque city hosts a
Here are a few key spots to investigate while renowned summer opera festival in a medieval
you’re taking a break in Finland. castle, Olavinlinna, which is stunningly situated on
a rocky island in the lake.
Helsinki: It’s just half an hour from the airport to
Finland’s capital, a bustling port on the Baltic Sea Northern Lights in Lapland: The Lapland region
packed with amazing architecture, time capsule of Finland is one of the best places on Earth see
cafes, cutting-edge arts and great shopping to the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) – they
experiences. If you’ve got just half a day to spare, appear on more than 200 nights here. The area is
you’ve got plenty of time to take a sightseeing an all-around wonderland – summers here enjoy
tour on foot, by bus or by boat. Save time to shop 24-hour daylight, autumn brings unbelievably
for Finnish design and shop for local delicacies. colorful foliage and winters are dark but magical.
There are hopping ski resorts like Levi and Ruka
National Parks: Finland’s national parks are
as well as miles and miles of peace and quiet in
scattered around the country’s coast, lakes, forests
rugged wilderness. And since you’re right on the
and peat lands, covering over 3,000 square miles.
Arctic Circle, you can pay a visit to Santa Claus at
These parks showcase the typical characteristics of
the ‘official’ Santa Claus Village.
Finnish nature ranging from fells and archipelagos
to rift valleys and eskers. Explore the rugged
Read more at
crags and green forests of Nuuksio National Park
www.visitfinland.com
(only 45 minutes from the airport or Helsinki city
Great Escape
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Get wet and wild on a waterfall adventure in Cabarete
before exploring a coffee plantation in the Jarabacoa
mountains. Then dance to merengue and join a
baseball game in Santo Domingo, explore the swampy
islands of Jaragua National Park, and set sail for a
secret beach near the Haitian border.
BY MIKE MACEACHERAN @MIKEMACEACHERAN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MATT MUNRO

// Remote Bahía de las Águilas

is best reached by boat.
 1
Cabarete
Leap down waterfalls into turquoise pools, and then
unwind with barbecue, seafood and rum cocktails.
experienced. Having spent the past 24 years in Damajag-
ua’s natural swimming holes, he knows the chute network
better than most. There are dozens of others to jump off,
he says, some that form curtains of milky-white ribbon and
swishing bridal veils, others that fan into gigantic clouds of
spray. There are so many tributaries, he jokes, that locals
Deep in the untamed Damajagua jungle, Augusto Bonilla ESSENTIALS keep discovering new bathtubs.
is preparing for the day’s big moment, patchy sunlight STAY // Natura Cabana, run Back in Cabarete, kiteboarders, surfers and canyoners
illuminating the pool below him. Watching his guests with by a family from Chile, is on converge again on dry land to unwind after the day’s adven-
an experienced eye, he tightens the helmet’s strap, his san- a strip of undeveloped tures. Everyone heads to their favorite shack to swap stories,
dals squelching on the precipitous rock ledge. “Have no beach away from Cabarete’s the bars fill up and the beaches are slowly abandoned, the
fear,” Bonilla tells his guests, as he shuffles an inch closer main resorts. It has private skies mellowing from vivid blue to smoky pink. Farther east
to the waterfall’s foaming lip, his eyes fixed on the horizon. bungalows, a thatched bar, at the mouth of the Yasica River, a short pontoon ride across
“Just close your eyes and jump.” Without another moment’s a pool and multilevel the delta, a more rustic option is offered. This is the way to
pause, he launches himself, like a human cannonball, out cabanas made for lazy days Wilson’s Bar, a breezy beachfront shack, haphazardly built
into a hazy abyss of mist. hanging out on hammock- out of items (palm fronds, fallen trees, a broken surfboard)
Seconds later, Bonilla resurfaces in the river’s natural strung balconies (from $90; left behind in the aftermath of a tropical storm.
punch bowl. With a broad grin, he scans the backcountry naturacabana.com). At its bamboo counter, the establishment’s owner, Wil-
surroundings. Above him, palmchats (the national bird of DO // Iguana Mama runs
son Zapete, is cutting up coconuts. To a lilting soundtrack
the Dominican Republic) chirp unseen in the cocoa and adrenalin-packed eco tours
of reggaetón and salsa, he scoops out their flesh and fills the
mango trees, while sage-green creepers and vines dangle of the 27 cascades of the
shell with crushed ice and rum. The kitchen is firing up a
over the eroded clay banks. Bonilla lifts his head skyward, Damajagua jungle (from
barbecue while muscular blue swimmer crabs are hauled
coaxing the band of nervous canyoners 26 feet up to follow. $49; iguanamama.com).
straight from buckets in the lagoon into a blackened pot,
“Viva hoy y orar por la mañana,” he shouts: live for today, reappearing moments later on a platter as a jumble of ruddy-
only pray for tomorrow. Soon after, they too take the leap of EAT // Wilson Zapete’s red claws, with prawns and fresh grilled fish.
faith, flapping their arms as if in flight. La Boca Restaurant can be It is after nightfall when the diners have finished,
From Puerto Plata to Cabarete, the north coast of the reached by river cruise, or the tinkling seashells suspended from the palm-leaf roof
Dominican Republic is awash with tanned kiteboarders and by following the beach road announcing the arrival of a brewing storm – and perhaps
surfers, but a trip inland offers an alternative exhilarating to its far eastern shoreline an impromptu refit for Zapete’s shack. “I first came here 10
way to embrace the water and explore the jungle landscape. (001-809-667-1960). years ago,” Zapete says. “I’ve seen so many changes, but only
Of all the guides who take adventurers into the hinterlands great ones.” And with that he raises a toast to good times
of the Saltos de la Damajagua, Bonilla is one of the most before disappearing back into the kitchen.

84 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 Clockwise from far left:
A cocktail at Wilson Zapete’s
beachside bar and restaurant, La Boca
// Tour guide Augusto Bonilla swims at
the base of the famous Damajagua
waterfalls. // A cook stokes and
prepares a barbecue at La Boca.
// Zapete at his bar

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 85

 Clockwise from top left:
Workers at the Monte Alto
Organic Coffee plantation // ranch
hand Amaura Bremont and his horse at
eco-resort Rancho Baiguate // freshly
picked coffee beans // Opposite:
The lime swallowtail can be seen
at the butterfly garden on
Rancho Baiguate’s leafy
compound.

86 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

2
Leaving the Atlantic coast
behind, it’s a twisty two-hour
drive through the hills to the
coffee plantations of Jarabacoa.

Jarabacoa
Experience the natural abundance of the island’s green
interior, from coffee straight from the source to walks One woman who can recognize most of these species
among fruit fields and butterflies. is Karen Jiménez, a guide at Rancho Baiguate’s butterfly
garden. “This is a Hispaniolan Emperor,” she says, letting
Only after the first coffee of the day has been consumed ESSENTIALS one land on her pinky finger, its wings a mosaic of damson
does the factory floor of Monte Alto Organic Coffee spark STAY // Rancho Baiguate and powder-orange. “We have breeds that exist here that
to life. Workers empty hemp sacks of cherry-red beans; is a sprawling eco resort you can’t find anywhere else. Some as tiny as a button, oth-
operators fill machines with the beans; youths sweep aside surrounded by gardens, ers that fly higher than 1,800 meters [5,900 feet].”
roasted nibs from the evening before. stables and waterfalls. As Jiménez wanders through the floral garden, she
Keeping watch on the scene is José Ramón Rodríguez, The simple rooms are in introduces some of the Caribbean’s rarest butterflies. The
one of many brothers, sons and grandsons behind the fam- plantation-style houses forests are home to more than 270 species, including the
ily business. The key to quality coffee, he says, turning the (from about $125; rancho mariposa zebra, a long-winged, graceful flier with pinstripes;
beans over in his palm, is perseverance. Once picked, the baiguate.com). The ranch a checkered yellow invader known as the lime swallowtail;
beans are dried, before being shelled, and then roasted – a is the best place to book and a flame-orange sprite that darts around as though being
magic trick that sees them change from candy-red to dark excursions, including constantly chased. This is the fabulously named Julia Heli-
chocolate. “Coffee is the only drink for us Dominicans,” horseback rides to the conian. “It’s always in a rush,” Jiménez adds, tracking one as
Ramón says, pouring out his fifth shot of the morning. “Just Baiguate and Jimenoa it flits through the sun-dappled dell.
not on a Saturday. Then our mistress is rum.” waterfalls (from $25) and Rancho Baiguate is home to creatures great and small,
Coffee is just one of many fruits that have made the white-water rafting down providing horses for trail rides to the 82-foot-high Baig-
town of Jarabacoa synonymous with organic farming. On the Yaque del Norte River uate waterfall, which flows into a wooded hollow. Two
the winding road to Monte Alto’s finca (estate) on the out- (from $50). fudge-colored ranch stallions maintain a brisk trot to the
skirts of town, the hills are scattered with fruit trees, and DO // Free tours of the
cascades despite the late afternoon heat. Led by a couple of
fertile gardens are stocked with bananas, passion fruit, papa- Monte Alto Organic
teenage ranch hands, they stop at the crest of the trail ridge
yas and avocados as big as rugby balls. Coffee plantation run
as the terrain becomes harsher, pausing to neigh and twitch.
The valley lies in the rain shadow of Pico Duarte – at daily (ramirezcoffee.com).
Below them, rough-hewn steps plunge down toward a glis-
more than 10,000 feet considered the highest peak in the tening pool bordered with trees, a melodic brook and a sand
Caribbean – and the valley’s cooler 1,640-foot altitude helps bank for rolling out a beach towel. By dusk, the cicadas are
things along. At night, bats feast in the canopies, pollinating in full song and the watering hole echoes with the joyful
crops of mango, cocoa and guava; during the day, forests fill hoots of people splashing and playing; from schoolchildren
with butterflies continuing the good work. to farm hands, all have come to wash away the day.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 87

 3
Santo Domingo
It’s an easy 2½-hour drive south to
Santo Domingo. The scenic route
first takes a dog-leg north, before
striking out across the country’s
jungle heartland.

Join in the Dominican Republic’s favorite pastimes –

toric quarter of alleyways, arches and cathedrals, endless
intriguing scenes unfold, tempting onlookers to linger.
baseball, dominoes and merengue – on the colonial Sun-wrinkled taxi drivers smoke thick cigars and play
streets of the historic capital. dominoes in the leafy shade of Parque Colón. They sit
beneath the bronze limbs of Christopher Columbus, for
It’s first light and Santo Domingo is not yet awake, but ESSENTIALS whom the square was named in the late 19th-century.
down at the Centro Olímpico Félix Sánchez the morning’s STAY // Close to the heart Around the corner, past the fallen ruins of the 1508
practice is already in full swing. On the sunbaked field, a of the Zona Colonial, Billini San Francisco Monastery on Plaza de España, a skiffle
group of youths dressed in peaked caps and faded shorts Hotel combines a historic band serenades a crowd with an accordion, a double-
is hustling for the next pitch as cries of “Rápido, rápido, building with modern art headed tambora conga drum and a washboard. After they
rápido!” ring out from the sidelines. and furniture. A rooftop earn enough pesos for a few cold drinks, they slink off
“I’ve worked on this field seven days a week for 20 restaurant and pool offer to enjoy them in the shade.
years,” says veteran Fausto Sosa, as he marshals the bound- great city views (from $180; Farther along the street, the pace is starting to pick up
ary, barking throaty instructions at the players. Dressed in billinihotel.com). at El Conuco, a dance hall restaurant with the faded charm
a ’70s tracksuit and scuffed trainers, a cracked stopwatch of a Caribbean rum bar. It’s time for an energetic night
DO // Daily merengue
swinging from his weathered neck, Sosa reels off a list of foot-stamping and merengue, a high-tempo folkloric
performances take place at
of Major League legends he’s mentored over the years, dance. Supposedly born from the foot-dragging of chained
Creole-style restaurant and
including Jorge Sosa, a former New York Mets pitcher. African slaves working in the fields, it is today an enduring
dance hall El Conuco (free;
Turning his attention back to the game, he jabs a finger to symbol of Dominican culture and good times.
elconuco.com.do).
single out the next batter, before giving him a fatherly slap On the dance floor, dressed in a full red skirt, dancer
on the belly. “This little hitter is only 15,’” he adds, “but I The baseball season runs Illuminada Corniel is swaying her hips, her hair tied back
swear he has the mano de dios: the hand of God.” October to December; the in braids. “One-two, one-two,” she whispers to her part-
Nowhere in the Caribbean is baseball taken more standout fixture is the game ner, as they twirl in a fleet-footed motion that outpaces
seriously than in the Dominican Republic. Brought to its between city rivals the Tigers the whirring ceiling fans. Around them, flushed couples
shores by Cuban immigrants in the 1870s, the sport is omni- and the Lions (tickets from pirouette and jive, but Illuminada and her straw-hatted
present in the city of Santo Domingo: kids play with $4; lidom.com). beau let the rhythm grip them as though they were the
makeshift sticks in dusty parking lots; older crowds gather only ones on the dance floor. It’s a mesmerizing specta-
around crackling televisions and radios in tobacco-scented cle, but one almost meriting an R rating. As the saying
bars, clinking bottles every time a home run is scored. in the Dominican Republic goes, “merengue is the closest
It’s drama like this that makes Santo Domingo such you can get to sex with your clothes on,” and this evening
an absorbing city to explore. In the Zona Colonial, a his- Santo Domingo seems determined to prove it.

88 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 Clockwise from far left:
Baseball coach Fausto Sosa
(center) and two of his protégés
// Iluminada Corniel and her partner,
Juan Basque, at El Conuco // touring Santo
Domingo’s historic quarter // a game of
dominoes // a lunchtime shoe shine in the
city center // Santo Domingo’s
Parque Colón

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 89

 Clockwise from top:
A flamboyance of flamingos
takes flight over the Laguna de Oviedo.
// a rhinoceros iguana // Agaves are
a common sight in Laguna de Oviedo.
// Opposite: The saltwater lagoon is
the Caribbean’s largest
protected nature refuge.

90 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

4
A four-hour drive southwest
along the Caribbean coast
from Santo Domingo brings
you to Laguna de Oviedo, the
stand-out attraction of Jaragua
National Park.

Laguna de Oviedo is wildly different from anything

else you’ll see in the Dominican Republic. As tidal water
from the Caribbean Sea funnels its way into the lagoon,
percolating through an underground karst limestone
depression, the water experiences extremes of salinity,
turning a murky olive-green color.
Spectacularly feathered candy-pink flamingos and
roseate spoonbills swoop low over the soupy water,
while hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles graze on

Laguna de Oviedo
Take a boat trip across the swampy waters of a saltwater
briny algae, laying eggs after nightfall. In the treetops,
gregarious birds such as glossy egrets and great blue her-
ons spread their broad wings.
lagoon and, with a bit of luck, you’ll spot flamingos and The lack of larger predators also explains why the
rare rhinoceros iguanas. lagoon’s remote islands have become one of the last ref-
uges for the rhinoceros iguana, making the Dominican
“Welcome to the world,” says park ranger Moreno Perez ESSENTIALS Republic one of only two countries (neighboring Haiti
de la Paz, as he silences the rhythmic putter of the out- STAY // Overlooking a is the other one) where it’s still possible to see the nearly
board motor. He loosely ties the boat to a driftwood swathe of rainforest, 5-foot-long iguanas, also known as Goliath dragons, in the
pontoon on the shoreline, glancing back across Laguna de Casa Bonita is an eco- wild. At the last count, there were nearly 400 of them on the
Oviedo before stepping onto the island. “We’re in dragon resort one hour from the lagoon’s largest islands.
territory now, so keep a lookout.” town of Oviedo. Its palm- As Perez clambers across a succession of razor-sharp
Barely covering 10 square miles in the Dominican thatched cabanas have limestone rocks, carefully negotiating a trail bound by
Republic’s undeveloped southwest, Laguna de Oviedo mahogany interiors and sabertooth agave and multi-limbed barrel cactus, he
may be a sliver of saltwater on the map, but its reedy shal- Caribbean Sea views. describes his lifelong respect for the national park’s elu-
lows, mangroves and remote islands are a haven for all Meals feature ingredients sive lizard. His father was once bitten by one while out
kinds of wildlife. Part of the Jaragua National Park, it’s the from the resort's organic tracking, he says. It was a clean wound straight to the
largest protected nature refuge in the Caribbean. garden (from $235; bone, and it’s a lesson Perez has always kept in mind.
On a sticky, overcast afternoon, Perez creeps through casabonitadr.com). As Perez finishes his story, he flinches. He points
the damp thickets with considered footsteps, using a straight ahead, and a soft smile appears on his lips. At the
DO // Moreno Perez de
rusted machete to shape a path. Cocking an ear to one center of the bower, part hidden in shade, is a steel-gray,
la Paz leads two-hour
side, he listens for forest-floor rustles and sounds in the brooding male rhinoceros iguana with piercing eyes and
wildlife tours to Laguna
trees. The signs to look for, he says, are wobbling branches a saggy wattle of thick mottled skin beneath its jaw. It
de Oviedo’s islands
and falling pungent fruit. has a crest of horned scales from its nape to its tail, its
from the national park’s
Moments later, a flurry of staccato squawks disturbs own menacing plate of armor. Unperturbed, the giant
headquarters (about
the jungle hush. It’s a white ibis protecting its offspring, lizard continues to munch on fallen black mango seeds,
$80 per boat; godomin
one of a number of residents that nest on the lagoon’s much like a cowboy chewing tobacco. Moments later, a
icanrepublic.com).
islands. Perez points through the knotted trees and foliage second, bolder male appears along a bowing branch only
to a giant candelabra-shaped cactus that has sprouted into feet away. “Look at that tough guy,” Perez whispers. “He’s
a makeshift crib. Inside is an aerie of hungry chicks. “False surveying his kingdom now, but he’ll later slip away and
alarm,” he adds. “We’ll have better luck next time.” it’ll be as if he was never here at all.”

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 91

 5
Bahía de
From the town of Oviedo, take a
50-minute drive along coastal
highway 44 to Cabo Rojo, the
jumping-off point for day trips
to Bahía de Las Águilas.

las Águilas
Head to the Dominican Republic’s little-visited southwest
coast and set a course for a deserted white-sand beach.

When Columbus first arrived in what is now the Dominican ESSENTIALS ago. Before then, his family – and the 80-strong cave-dwelling
Republic in 1492, he declared it to be “the fairest land under STAY // The town of community he was part of – would eke out a simple living from
heaven.” The seafaring explorer never reached the country’s Pedernales is a 30-minute the seas as spear fishermen, returning to the caves each night to
extreme southwest corner, but he really should have made the drive from Cabo Rojo. light candles in the gloom.
effort. The few who do so today find it remains blessedly Here, Hostal Doña Chava The bay still draws these local fishermen, who cast off in
isolated, its crescent bays virtually untouched by tourism. has spartan en suite rooms the shallows for lobster, conch and barracuda. Today the
The area’s trump card is the Bahía de las Águilas – or Eagles overlooking a rustic occasional visitor joins them, lured by talk of the preposterously
Bay – which appears on a map as nothing more than a coastal courtyard restaurant serving blue seas. When clouds peek over the horizon, still the water
highway dead end, near the border with Haiti. But as locals typical Dominican food retains its turquoise sheen. “Even in the Caribbean this beach is
imaginatively tell it, the nature reserve resembles the outline (from about $30; Calle 2da; special,” says Wellington, as he slows the boat in preparation
of a seabird. The contours of the two promontories are its 00 1 809 524 0332). for the first glimpse of the 5-mile-long bay. “No stones, just
broad wings; the midway point between them, its pronounced sand, sand, sand,” he says.
DO // Day trips to Bahía de
beak. And along its feathered, white belly is one of country’s When Bahía de las Águilas comes into view, it is bone-white.
Las Águilas can be booked
most remote, yet arguably most attractive beaches. The boat slithers to a halt, disturbing a crab. Few footprints are
at Rancho Típico Cueva de
The fun way to reach this amazing stretch of sand is another sign that day-trippers are as good as alone at this
las Águilas, a beach
to take a 15-minute motorboat from Cabo Rojo, a cape and a pristine utopia. This is a beach that has largely been left to
restaurant in Cabo Rojo,
beach with a cluster of cabanas at the tip of one of the bird’s nature. The sounds are the tide and the papery flap of pelicans;
run by the ever-friendly
wings. From here, cruising southeast from the jetty, the coast the smells are salty and palm-scented.
Santiago Rodríguez (from
begins to disintegrate as though slowly tumbling into the sea. At one end of the beach, a family picnics in the shade, having
$90 for two, including
The cliffs are pockmarked and broken, a series of bluffs covered strung up a hammock. A pot-bellied man snoozes in the
snorkeling and lunch;
in weathered shells and cactuses. sunshine while his children hunt for seashell souvenirs. With
00 1-809-753-8058).
At the motorboat’s stern is Wellington Gómez, a stringy, not a single shop or a shack to distract from it, the sea’s potency is
twinkly-eyed captain who grew up living just beyond the beach enhanced. No one can resist diving into the water, not even
curve. Surprisingly, Wellington is a modern-day caveman, skipper Wellington. Stripping to his waist and leaping off the
having lived in a series of eroded fissures and rock grottoes since stern of his boat with a whooping splash, it’s a fitting
he was a child, only moving into a thatched beach hut five years homecoming for this most willing of castaways.

92 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 Remote Bahía de las
Águilas rewards visitors with
turquoise waters and miles of white
sand. // Opposite: An abundance
of fresh seafood is available along
the coast in and around
Cabo Rojo.

Clockwise from far left:

A painting of Don Quixote
adorns a wall at Mesón Cervantes, a
restaurant overlooking Plaza Mayor.
// the New Cathedral // student Maria
José González (right) and José Luis
de los Mozos in the town square //
A tuna band performs in
Plaza Mayor.
 Make it Happen / Dominican Republic

Flight Times
From LA From NYC
about

101/2
HOURS
4
HOURS

GETTING AROUND
Puerto Plata is the
nearest airport to Cabarete.
American, Jet Blue and United
fly there direct from the United
States. Alternatively, Delta and
other U.S. airlines have flights
into Santiago (1½ hours from
Cabarete). Visas are generally
not required for stays of up to
30 days. A tourist card ($10,
good for 30 days), must be
purchased on arrival.
Rental cars are available
at various airports (from
about $65 per day, including
ON THE
insurance; avis.com) but
ROAD
caution is advised as roads
can be poorly lit at night and Eat Tostones: The Dominican Republic would strike tomorrow if its beloved twice-fried
many drivers tend toward plantain chips were taken off the menu. Served with everything from fried chicken to grilled
recklessness. Caribe Tours meats and lobster, these carb nuggets are Caribbean gold.
runs daily air-conditioned Drink A santo libre: It’s not Cuba, where everyone drinks rum over ice with a slice of lime.
buses connecting the Dominicans sweeten their rum drink with a lemon and lime mixer such as Sprite.
country’s main cities and Read Peruvian Nobel Prize-winner Mario Vargas Llosa’s The Feast of the Goat is a brutally
towns, including Cabarete, honest take on the dictatorship and assassination of former Dominican president and
Jarabacoa and Santo Domingo all-round villain Rafael Trujillo.
(caribetours.com.do) and Dance Bachata: Dominicans love merengue, but they love bachata just as much. Bachata
as far as Barahona on the is a moodier, down-tempo routine based on a one-two-three-four side-step shuffle. It’s
southwest coast. To reach like a bolero but in slow-motion.
Laguna de Oviedo and Bring it back Artisanal organic chocolate bars, as sold at Santo Domingo’s Choco
Pedernales, you’ll be reliant on Museum (chocomuseo.com), make a tasty souvenir. Local cocoa farmers supply premium
the guaguas – local minivans. chocolate makers Green & Black’s and Valrhona with trinitario beans, which are renowned
for their intense flavor.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Lonely Planet’s Dominican Republic is an in-depth guide ($22.99). Single

chapters can be downloaded at shop.lonelyplanet.com ($4.95 each).

94 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

Postcards
WHERE YOU’VE BEEN AND WHAT YOU’VE SEEN

MORNE TROIS PITONS

NATIONAL PARK, DOMINICA
Fall Guy
After a 40-minute hike through the rainforest, our
tour group sharing lighthearted jokes, admiring
the beautiful scenery and stopping to swing from
huge jungle vines, we arrived at Middleham Falls.
As we rested and admired the waterfall, our guide
decided that the view was not enough and began
to scale the vegetation up the cliff. Then he leaped
as we watched, gasping. Hitting the water with an
almighty splash, he reappeared and shouted up,
“For all those too slow with your cameras, I will do
that one more time.”

Jason Parry spent

six months working
as a photographer
on a cruise ship in
the Caribbean.
 ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Sunset at the Mosque

My wife and I decided to visit

the famous Sheikh Zayed
Grand Mosque as we waited
for our connecting flight. We
were very fortunate to see this
wonder kissed by the last rays
of Sun, the moment when it
shines the most due to its
golden decoration. Inside, you
can admire Swarovski lamps,
the Persian carpet and
beautiful stained glass
windows. Try to visit it in the
evening to see the sunset, and
stay there until the sky turns
blue and the lights are on.

Jorge Císcar and

wife Aleyda were
traveling from
Valencia, Spain,
to Denpasar, Bali.

SOLO, INDONESIA The Satay Man

I spent a weekend in Solo,

where the specialty is street
food. The city is renowned
throughout the Indonesian
archipelago for its tasty treats,
such as satay buntel, tengkleng
and tongseng. Each dish is
grilled to perfection on coal
fires, kindled with the husks of
coconuts, and kept burning all
day long. I couldn’t help but
marvel at the skill and speed
of the cooks as they fanned
the coals with rattan, wafting
delicious aromas up into
the night sky.

Chris Alexander
lives in Jakarta,
Indonesia, and
travels often
around the
island country.

96 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 POSTCARDS

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

Crisp and Cool

After a foggy day in Big Sur and camping in Monterey, our group left the
winding Highway 1 for a stop at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It was hot Signe Brewster
and crammed with people, but I found a moment of peace (and color) is a science and
technology writer
when I looked up at the Sky Glider passing overhead. based in St. Paul,
Minnesota.

Send your best new travel photos (at 300 dpi), along with the stories behind them
(in 100 words or less), and a photo of yourself to postcards@lonelyplanet.com.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 97

 6 TEAR-OUT

Mini Guides

98 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 Fold 2
The superb view from
Piazzale Michelangelo
Sights
ORSANMICHELE
This unusual and inspirational
church, with a splendid Gothic
tabernacle, began as a grain
market. Exterior niches display
copies of Renaissance statues
representing the patron saints of
Florence’s many guilds. The original
statues are inside, in a little-known
museum (polomuseale.firenze.it;
Via dell’Arte della Lana; church
10am–5pm, museum 10am–5pm Giambologna’s 1570s statue
L’Architettura at the Bargello
Mon; free).

BARGELLO SANTO SPIRITO

MINI GUIDE This 13th-century building once The strikingly plain facade of this
served as a prison but is now a Brunelleschi basilica forms an
museum safeguarding Italy’s most atmospheric backdrop to open-air

Budget comprehensive collection of Tuscan

Renaissance sculpture, including
some of Michelangelo’s best early
concerts during the summer.
Inside, the church’s colonnaded
length is lined with 38 semicircular

Florence works, such as his tipsy Bacchus,

Roman god of wine (polomuseale
.firenze.it; Via del Proconsolo 4;
chapels. Works to watch for include
Filippino Lippi’s poorly lit Madonna
with Child and Saints (c.1488) in the
The capital of Italy’s Tuscany region is romanticized the 8:15am–5pm summer, until 2pm Cappella Nerli, or Nerli Chapel
world over, but Florence’s artistic heritage and culinary winter, closed 1st, 3rd and 5th Mon (basilicasantospirito.it; Piazza Santo
and 2nd and 4th Sun of month; Spirito; 9:30am–12:30pm and
flair doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Here’s how to enjoy $4.50, free on first Sun of month). 4pm–5:30pm; closed Wed; free).
the “cradle of the Renaissance” on the cheap.

Eating & Drinking Experiences Fold 1

MARIANO OLTRARNO
Our favorite sandwich shop gently If you reach museum overload and
buzzes with Florentines propped at want to stretch your legs, head to the
the counter. Come to this brick- Oltrarno, the “other side of the
vaulted, 13th-century cellar for a Arno,” the traditional home of the
coffee-and-pastry breakfast, light city’s artisanal workshops. Should
lunch, aperitivo or panino to eat on you notice something gone awry
the move. Look out for the sign with street signs – say, a tiny black
above the door reading “alimentari,” figure sneaking away with the white
which translates to “foodstuffs” bar on a No Entry sign – you can be
(Via del Parione 19r; 8am–3pm and sure it’s the work of Clet, a much-
5pm–7:30pm Mon–Fri, 8am–3pm Family-run Trattoria Mario has admired street artist who toils away The banks of the Arno at Porta
been in business since 1953 San Niccolò in Oltrarno
Sat; panini from $4). on Via dell’Olmo.

TRATTORIA MARIO KITSCH PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO LE MURATE

Tear out page here then fold along dotted lines

Arrive by noon to get a stool This American-style bar in the Bypass the souvenir stalls and take Florence’s former city jail and 15th-
around a shared table at this noisy, eastern Santa Croce district is in the most stunning city panorama century nunnery is one of the city’s
busy trattoria, a legend that retains known among budget-conscious from this vast square, pierced by one most exciting cultural spaces. It’s
its soul (and allure with locals) Florentines for its lavish spread at of Florence’s two replicas of David, where literati meet to talk and create.
despite being so well known. A aperitivi time: $9 for drink and Michelangelo’s masterpiece. Sunset Arranged around an inner courtyard,
daily-changing menu of down-to- hearty nibbles (bruschetta, cold here is dramatic. It’s a 10-minute walk the historic red-brick complex is in
earth Tuscan dishes always includes cuts, salads, pasta, ribs) that can along the serpentine road, paths and itself compelling, but the main draw is
bistecca alla Fiorentina, the city’s substitute for dinner. A DJ sets the steps that scale the hillside from the the arty café/bar at its heart, which
signature beefsteak with rosemary, place rocking after dark. There is a Arno and Piazza Giuseppe Poggi; hosts film screenings, debates, live
only served rare (trattoriamario.com; second location on Via San Gallo from Piazza San Niccolò walk uphill music and art exhibitions (lemurate.it;
Via Rosina 2r; noon–3:30pm Mon– (kitschfirenze.com; Viale A Gramsci and bear left up the steps marked Piazza delle Murate; 8:30am–2am
Sat; main courses from $8). 1/5r; 6:30pm–2:30am). “Viale Michelangelo.” Mon–Fri, 11am–1am Sat–Sun).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 99

 MINI GUIDE
Budget Florence
Eating Drinking Sights Sleeping

Essentials The Know-How

COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM NICOLA WILLIAMS. PHOTOGRAPHS: ATLANTIDE PHOTOTRAVEL/CORBIS,
GETTING THERE & AROUND BACKSTREET FLORENCE FOR MORE INFORMATION
Florence Airport, also known as Discover old-world Florence by Lonely Planet’s Pocket Florence
Amerigo Vespucci airport, is about exploring the life of Italy’s most divine & Tuscany ($13.99) is ideal for

MAURIZIO RELLINI/SIME/4CORNERS, SYLVAIN SONNET/GETTY IMAGES, TETRA IMAGES/GETTY, ROSS WARNER/ALAMY

3 miles from the city center. From poet, Dante (below). short trips. Florence & Tuscany
the airport, a bus into town costs • Dante was born in Florence in ($24.99) provides a more
about $6.50, while taxi fares start 1265. Tragic romance was what in-depth guide to the region; its
around $22. Also convenient is made him tick; there’s no better place chapters are available to download
Pisa International Airport, the to unravel Dante’s story than in the at shop.lonelyplanet.com ($4.95).
Tuscany region’s main international Enjoy 16th-century splendor museum on the site of his family For inspiration on where to eat
for less at Palazzo Guadagni
airport. Buses connect the Pisa home (museocasadidante.it). and city events, check out the blog
airport and Florence in around • Dante’s muse and great love was girlinflorence.com.
70 minutes ($4.50 one way); a Beatrice Portinari, although he
bus-and-train combo ($8.50) via A warm welcome awaits at the claimed only to have met her twice.
Pisa may be slightly quicker. lovely Hotel Dalì. A stone’s throw There is a monument to her in the
Florence is easily walkable from the Duomo, it has sunny rooms tiny church of Santa Margherita dei
and there is also a bus network decorated in a low-key, modern way, Cerchi, tucked down an alley near
(90-minute ticket $1.30; ataf.net). as well as a trio of apartments Dante’s house. It may also be the
(hoteldali.com; Via dell’Oriuolo 17; place where Dante married his
WHERE TO STAY from $100 with private bath). actual betrothed, Gemma Donati.
Relais del Duomo stakes a The delightful Palazzo
prime spot on a quiet, traffic-free Guadagni is housed in an artfully
street around the corner from the revamped Renaissance palace, with
Duomo cathedral, Florence’s most spacious, tastefully styled rooms
iconic landmark. This B&B’s four and a romantic loggia terrace
elegant rooms have parquet floors overlooking the square below
and simple decor (relaisdelduomo.it; (palazzoguadagni.com; Piazza Santo
Piazza dell’Olio 2; from $85). Spirito 9; from $125).

100 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 The forested peak
of the Arenal Volcano Fold 2
in northwest Costa Rica

Surfing
PAVONES
Home to one of the longest left-
hand breaks on the planet, Pavones
is a legendary destination for surfers
the world over, and on a good day
can offer a satisfying two- or
three-minute ride. Conditions here,
on Costa Rica’s southernmost point,
are usually best with a southern
swell but if you’re there when the
waves aren’t, just head a short
distance south to Punta Banco, a A surfer catches a wave at Playa
Grande, on the Pacific Coast
reef with decent rights and lefts.

MINI GUIDE
SALSA BRAVA PLAYA GRANDE
This Caribbean break near Puerto A wide, gorgeous beach that by day
Viejo has the country’s biggest surf has steep and powerful waves and

Activities in
and, in December, waves can reach by night sees the arrival of nesting
30 feet high. The swell pulls in from leatherback sea turtles. It’s Costa
the east, pushing a wall of water Rica’s most accessible, reliable

Costa Rica
against the shallow reef, in the break and draws hordes, though it’s
process generating a thick and so big that it never seems crowded.
powerful curl. The wave, baptized Nighttime visits are by guided tour
by some locals as “the cheese only. By day, rent boards, sign up for
Miles of junlge-fringed beaches and a number of grater,” has turned Puerto Viejo lessons and recover with a deep-
national parks and reserves provide the perfect from a barely accessible town 30 tissue massage at Frijoles Locos Surf
years ago into the world-class surf Shop & Spa (frijoleslocos.com; from
playground for rafting through the wilderness, surfing destination it is today. $50 for a 60-minute massage).
epic breaks or hiking through clouds.

Rafting & Kayaking Hiking Fold 1

RÍO SARAPIQUÍ CORCOVADO

The Río Sarapiquí isn’t as wild as NATIONAL PARK
the white water on the Río Pacuare Labeled by National Geographic as
(see below) but the dense jungle “the most biologically intense place
that hugs the riverbank is lush and on Earth,” this national park is home
primitive. You can run the Class II–IV to scarlet macaws, Baird’s tapirs,
rapids throughout the year; the river giant anteaters and harpy eagles.
fluctuates with rainfall, so if it’s been Paths are primitive but provide a
raining, the river will be at its best. It’s supreme look at the wonders of the
also a great place to learn how to rainforest. You’ll need a guide; Osa
kayak; several operators offer Wild offers unique experiences at
lessons (costaricaraft.com; half-day Kayaking in the 120-square-mile affordable prices (osawildtravel.com; Monteverde Cloud Forest is home
Tortuguero National Park to more than 2,500 plant species
expedition from $60). park entry $15; guides from $35).

RÍO PACUARE CANALS OF TORTUGUERO MONTEVERDE TENORIO VOLCANO

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The Río Pacuare offers some of the Created in 1974 to connect a series CLOUD FOREST NATIONAL PARK
most scenic rafting in all of Central of lagoons and meandering rivers, There are 8 miles of marked and The heavenly blue river, waterfalls
America. The river plunges down the the canals are an excellent maintained trails within this virginal and lagoons here are among Costa
Caribbean slope through a series of introduction to Tortuguero National forest dripping with mist, sprouting Rica’s most spectacular natural
spectacular canyons clothed in virgin Park, the most important breeding with ferns, dangling with mossy vines phenomena, which is also why the
rainforest, through runs named for ground of the green sea turtle. and gushing with creeks. The most park is known to locals as Río Celeste
their fury and separated by calm Kayaking through the canals will get popular trails make a triangle to the (celestial river). There’s a well-marked
stretches, where you can stare at you up close to birds and wildlife, east of the reserve entrance. Note: trail that circles volcanoes and misty
300-foot near-vertical green walls. including kingfishers, turtles and trails can be muddy, and you should waterfalls; it’s about 4 miles in total,
Exploradores Outdoors runs rafting caimans. Rent a canoe or a kayak in arrive early because visitor numbers but allow three hours as some parts
trips (exploradoresoutdoors.com; $99 Tortuguero village (tortuguerovillage are restricted (reservamonteverde.com; are steep and rocky (visitcostarica
for a one-day expedition). .com; canoes from $4). park entry $20). .com; park entry $12).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 101

 MINI GUIDE
Activities in Costa Rica
Activities Sleeping

ALVARO LEIVA/SUPERSTOCK, MINT IMAGES/SUPERSTOCK, KIKE CALVO/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE/CORBIS, MLORENZOHOTOGRAPHY/

COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MARA VORHEES, WENDY YANAGIHARA AND GREGOR CLARK. PHOTOGRAPHS:
Essentials The Know-How
GETTING THERE & AROUND BIRDWATCHING FOR MORE INFORMATION
Costa Rica can be reached via Costa Rica is a veritable Eden, with Lonely Planet’s Costa Rica
frequent, direct international flights varied birdlife: ($24.99) is a comprehensive
from the United States, Canada and Toucan – Costa Rica has six species guide to the country. San José,
Central American countries. You of this classic rainforest bird. Huge Costa Rica’s capital, is featured
can also cross a land border from bills and vibrant plumage make the in Lonely Planet’s Guides app. See
Panama or Nicaragua. There are chestnut-mandibled toucan and the Ticotimes.net for trip planning and
frequent, inexpensive buses to San keel-billed toucan hard to miss. more destination information. Two
José (single $1); taxis charge around Hotel Belmar’s Sunrise room looks Scarlet macaw – Unmistakable for excellent contemplative books on
$20. Chartering a private plane is over the Monteverde Cloud Forest
its size, red body and ear-splitting birds are A Naturalist in Costa Rica
the quickest way to travel around the squawk, it’s commonly seen in the ($24.95; University Press of Florida)
country. Costa Rica’s airlines are Hotel Banana Azul sits astride a Carara National Park and the and The Minds of Birds ($29.95;
Nature Air and Sansa (return flights tranquil black-sand beach in Puerto Osa Peninsula. Texas A&M University Press), both
from $65; natureair.com, sansacosta Viejo. The best choice is the Howler Resplendent quetzal – The dazzling by Alexander Skutch.
rica.com). Or consider a door-to- Suite, a corner room with good quetzal once held great ceremonial
door private bus service, such as views. There’s also an onsite significance for the Aztecs and the
Interbus (interbusonline.com). bar-restaurant (bananaazul.com; Maya. Look for its iridescent-green
Puerto Viejo; from $99). body, red breast and long green tail
WHERE TO STAY Every room at eco-resort Hotel near Los Quetzales National Park.
Less than one-quarter mile north Belmar has an incredible view of the Hummingbird – More than 50
of the entrance to Tortuguero forest, gulf or both. Rooms feature hummingbird species have been
National Park, Cabinas wooden furniture, high-thread- recorded in Costa Rica. Most live at
Tortuguero has 11 brightly painted count linens, floor-to-ceiling high elevations. The largest is the
bungalows surrounding a neat windows and large balconies. violet sabrewing, with a striking
GETTY IMAGES

garden. There are hammocks for There’s also a spa and a great violet head and body and
lounging (tortuguerovillage.com; restaurant (hotelbelmar.net; dark-green wings.
Tortuguero; with private bath $30). Monteverde; from $151).

102 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 The lights of Chicago rise
high above the shores of Fold 2
Lake Michigan

Jazz & Blues Clubs

B.L.U.E.S.
This veteran blues club in Lincoln
Park, on Chicago’s north side, draws
a slightly older crowd that soaks up
every crackling, electrified moment.
As one local musician put it, “The
audience here comes out to
understand the blues.” Local stars
like L’il Ed & The Blues Imperials
grace the small stage (chicago
bluesbar.com; 2519 N. Halsted St.;
8pm–2am, until 3am Sat; cover Green Mill has been a Chicago
nightspot for more than a century
charge from $5).

GREEN MILL HUNGRY BRAIN

MINI GUIDE Sit in Al Capone’s favorite spot at this This unassuming, comfortable
authentic cocktail lounge, complete Roscoe Village bar is where some
with curved leather booths and of the city’s best young jazzers

Nightlife colorful tales about mobsters who

owned shares in the place (a trap
door behind the bar leads to tunnels
drink cheap and let loose, often
resulting in inspired sessions. The
longstanding venue has some

in Chicago where they hid their bootlegged

booze). It’s also a great venue for jazz
acts, with musicians frequently
arcade games and a jukebox, too,
and there’s a laid-back patio out
back where you can hang out when
Undaunted by the weather or the work week, jamming until dawn (greenmilljazz the weather’s nice (hungrybrain
Chicagoans turn out en masse at night. Blues icons .com; 4802 N. Broadway; 12pm– chicago.com; 2319 W. Belmont
4am Mon–Fri, until 5am Sat, 11am– Ave.; from 7pm–2am, closed Tue;
echo in clubs, DJs spin eclectic sounds, and improv and 4am Sun; cover charge from $4). cover charge from $5).
comedy clubs unleash edgy, experimental performers.

Clubs Improv & Comedy Fold 1

LATE BAR COMEDYSPORTZ

Late Bar is off the beaten path, The gimmick? Two improv teams
on a forlorn stretch of Belmont compete with deadly seriousness
Avenue in the city’s Avondale to make you laugh hysterically,
neighborhood, though it’s easily in a Whose Line is it Anyway?-style
reachable via the Blue Line train. showcase of comic invention.
A couple of DJs opened the club in The bawdier late show excepted,
2010, and its new-wave vibe draws it’s all family friendly. The
fans of all stripes. Saturday’s ’80s Lakeview-area venue has other
nights are popular (latebarchicago comedy shows as well (cszchicago
.com; 3534 W. Belmont Ave.; .com; 929 W. Belmont Ave.; Thu–
8pm–4am Tue–Fri, until 5am Sat; The regularly packed dance floor Sat; $25 ComedySportz; other Second City’s facade features
at Debonair Social Club shows from $5). 19th-century German figureheads
no cover charge).

SMART BAR DEBONAIR SOCIAL CLUB IO THEATER SECOND CITY

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A couple of blocks north of Wrigley A mostly young, hipster crowd Founded in the 1980s and formerly Counting John Belushi, Chris Farley
Field, this downstairs adjunct to the dances the night away at Wicker known as the ImprovOlympic and Stephen Colbert among its
Metro (known for loud rock) is a Park’s Debonair. The upstairs floor Theater, the iO Theater in the notable alumni, Second City, in the
dance lover’s dream. The small, draws big crowds for the can’t-sit- Wrigleyville neighborhood teaches Old Town area, features shows with
intimate venue features renowned still oldies mash-ups, hard rock and and hosts performances of sharp and biting commentaries on
DJs and a veritable who’s who of new electro. The downstairs floor is improvisational comedy. Notable life, politics, love and anything else
forward-looking break artists plus less hot and packed, though still alumni include Tina Fey and Mike that falls in the crosshairs of the
house and trance DJs holding down lively. Reggae and burlesque shows Myers. Shows hinge entirely on comedians’ rapid-fire, hard-hitting
the turntables (smartbarchicago entertain on other nights (debonair audience suggestions, and each wit. An offshoot, Second City e.t.c.,
.com; 3730 N. Clark St.; 10pm–4am socialclub.com; 1575 N. Milwaukee turn can run 40 minutes or longer has riskier and less expensive shows
Wed–Fri and Sun, until 5am Sat; Ave.; 9pm–2am Wed–Sat; cover (ioimprov.com/chicago; 3541 N. (secondcity.com; 1616 N. Wells St.;
cover charge from $5.50). charge varies, some nights free). Clark St.; open daily; from $5). open daily; from $15).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 103

 MINI GUIDE
Nightlife in Chicago
Entertainment Sleeping

Essentials The Know-How

GETTING THERE & AROUND Chess Records FOR MORE INFORMATION
O’Hare International Airport is – The original See Lonely Planet’s Guides app,
one of the world’s busiest airports, home of the featuring offline maps and must-
handling international and domestic blues in see sights in Chicago and dozens
flights. Chicago Midway Airport, a Chicago, Chess of other cities worldwide. Lonely
bit closer to the Loop (central Records helped Planet’s Chicago ($21.99) is a

COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM KARLA ZIMMERMAN. PHOTOGRAPHS:

business district), handles domestic launch the careers of Muddy comprehensive guide to the city;
services plus some Canada and Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, and chapters can be downloaded at
Mexico flights. Both airports have Art’otel’s lobby is a swanky refuge served as a catalyst for early shop.lonelyplanet.com ($4.95).

WALTER BIBIKOW/SUPERSTOCK, MARTIN BOND/ALAMY, KRIS DAVIDSON, DAN WELDON

easy “L” train links into the city. You with a library for guests sessions by Chuck Berry. The Chicagoist covers the city in all
can also use a shared shuttle van Bloodshot Records – This its quirky glory (chicagoist.com).
service such as Airport Express Housed in the landmark 1890s independent label focusing on
(about $25 to Loop hotels; Reliance Building in downtown roots-based indie rock, alternative
airportexpress.com). Taxis cost Chicago, the superslick Kimpton country and punk, has been home
around $32. Ventra tickets are ideal Burnham Hotel has rooms to the likes of Ryan Adams, Neko
for visitors; a day pass costs $10 furnished with mahogany desks and Case and Robbie Fulks
(transitchicago.com). chaise longues. Some suites offer (bloodshotrecords.com).
views of Lake Michigan and Delmark Records – America’s oldest
WHERE TO STAY Millennium Park (burnhamhotel.com; independent jazz/blues label,
The Days Inn in the Lincoln Park 1 W. Washington St.; from $189). Delmark has produced artists such
area has perks such as free Wi-Fi, One of Chicago’s newest luxury as Junior Wells, Otis Rush and Dinah
health club access and hot waffle hotels, the Waldorf Astoria Washington (delmark.com).
breakfasts. Avoid the standard Chicago models itself on the style of Thrill Jockey – Made famous by
doubles if you’re claustrophobic; ’20s Parisian glamour. The rooms “postrock” bands of the ’90s, Thrill
kings are significantly roomier are large and very well appointed Jockey has consistently released
(daysinnchicago.net; 644 W. (waldorfastoria3.hilton.com; 11 E. music spanning a variety of genres
Diversey Parkway; from $103). Walton St.; from $276). (thrilljockey.com).

104 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 Tate Britain Fold 2
opened in 1897

Contemporary
TATE MODERN
This gallery, housed in a revamped
brick power station on the South
Bank, features international modern
and contemporary art. It has been
extraordinarily successful in
bringing challenging work to the
masses, through its free permanent
collection and fee-paying, big-
name temporary exhibitions. There
are free, guided highlights tours
at 11am, noon, 2pm and 3pm daily Bound, by Alice Anderson, at the
Saatchi Gallery
(tate.org.uk; Queen’s Walk; free).

SAATCHI GALLERY SERPENTINE GALLERIES

MINI GUIDE Famed for courting controversy, Situated in the midst of leafy
this gallery hosts temporary Kensington Gardens, this is one of
exhibitions of thought-provoking London’s most important

Art in and experimental work across a

variety of media. The white and
sanded bare-floorboard galleries
contemporary art galleries. Each
year, the gallery commissions an
international architect who has

London are magnificently presented, but

save some wonder for Gallery 13,
where Richard Wilson’s beautiful
never built in the U.K. to erect a new
“Summer Pavilion” nearby, open
from June to October. The galleries,
The art scene in England’s capital is as eclectic as the 20:50 is on permanent display. meanwhile, run a program of
city itself. It’s possible to flit between Renaissance There’s an interesting shop on readings, talks and open-air cinema
the first floor (saatchigallery.com; screenings (serpentinegalleries.org;
masterpieces and contemporary international stars King’s Road; free). closed Mon; free).
all within a few gallery steps.

19th & 20th Century Old Masters Fold 1

TATE BRITAIN VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM

Splendidly refurbished a few years The Museum of Manufactures, as
back and showing off a rehung the V&A was known when it opened
collection, the more elderly and in 1852, houses the world’s largest
venerable Tate sibling celebrates collection of decorative arts – from
paintings from 1500 to the present, Asian ceramics and Middle Eastern
with modern pieces from Lucian rugs to modern-day appliances – as
Freud, Barbara Hepworth, Francis well as fine art, including paintings,
Bacon, Henry Moore and Tracey prints and drawings. Its National
Emin. The stars of the show are the Collection of Sculpture, comprising
visions of 19th-century English artist 22,000 objects dating from the 4th
J.M.W. Turner, including The Scarlet Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with century, is especially impressive Room 50a: The Renaissance City
Bandaged Ear at the Courtauld at the Victoria & Albert Museum
Sunset (tate.org.uk; Millbank; free). (vam.ac.uk; Cromwell Road; free).

COURTAULD GALLERY NATIONAL NATIONAL GALLERY SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM

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The Courtauld Gallery in Somerset PORTRAIT GALLERY With some 2,300 paintings on This little museum is one of the most
House contains a wealth of What makes the NPG so compelling display, this is one of the world’s atmospheric in London. The
masterpieces by Rubens, Cézanne, is its familiarity; you’ll have heard of richest art collections, with seminal heritage-listed building, home of
Degas, Renoir, Manet and Monet, to many of the subjects (celebrities, works from the mid-13th to the early architect Sir John Soane (1753–1837),
mention a few, but it is particularly politicians, scientists, royals) or the 20th century. Its religious art is brimming with curiosities and works
known for its 19th-century artists (Warhol, Leibovitz). Popular collection includes Da Vinci’s Virgin of of art, including Riva degli Schiavoni,
impressionist collection. Works to works include a portrait of William the Rocks, while Michelangelo, Titian, Looking West, by Canaletto, and the
watch for include Manet’s A Bar at Shakespeare, believed to be the only Raphael and El Greco hold court in original A Rake’s Progress, William
the Folies-Bergère; Van Gogh’s likeness made during his lifetime, the West Wing. The North Wing is Hogarth’s set of satirical cartoons
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and and the iconic portraits of English graced by Rubens, Rembrandt and depicting late-18th-century London
Gauguin’s Nevermore (courtauld rock band Blur by Julian Opie Caravaggio (nationalgallery.org.uk; (soane.org; 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields;
.ac.uk; Strand; closed Mon; $9). (npg.org.uk; St. Martin’s Place; free). Trafalgar Square; free). closed Mon; free).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 105

 MINI GUIDE
Art in London
Sights Sleeping

COMPILED BY LORNA PARKES, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PETER DRAGICEVICH, STEVE FALLON, EMILIE FILOU AND DAMIAN HARPER. PHOTO-
GRAPHS: TATE PHOTOGRPAHY, UKARTPICS/ALAMY, VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON, SIMON BROWN, KRIS KIRKHAM PHOTOGRAPHY
Essentials The Know-How
GETTING THERE & AROUND BEST GALLERY EATING FOR MORE INFORMATION
London has five airports: Heathrow, • National Dining Rooms. Oliver London is among dozens of cities
which is the largest, to the west; Peyton’s restaurant at the National featured in Lonely Planet’s Guides
Gatwick to the south; Stansted to Gallery features seasonal regional app, which is packed with tips and
the northeast; Luton to the specialties (below), as well as advice from on-the-ground experts.
northwest; and London City in the an extensive selection of British Lonely Planet’s London ($21.99) is
east/southeast. Most transatlantic cheeses for a light lunch a comprehensive guide to visiting
flights land at Heathrow (the (peytonandbyrne.co.uk; Sainsbury the city; individual chapters can be
average flight time is 7 hours from A room in the two-bedroom Soho Wing; lunch from $8.50). downloaded at shop.lonelyplanet
the East Coast, 10½ hours from the Suite at the Soho Hotel
• Portrait. This restaurant above the .com ($4.95). For short breaks,
West Coast). The airports are well National Portrait Gallery overlooks there’s Pocket London ($13.99).
served by train and bus, and In West London’s wealthy Trafalgar Square and Westminster. Check out artmonthly.co.uk for
Heathrow has its own tube Belgravia disctrict, Lime Tree Hotel The brunch and afternoon tea are listings of London gallery previews,
(underground railway) station. is a family-run B&B in a Georgian highly recommended (npg.org.uk; events and closing exhibitions.
Public transportation is expensive townhouse exuding understated afternoon tea $36).
but comprehensive; buy an Oyster elegance and championing British • Wallace. This brasserie is idyllically
card for cheaper fares (zone 1 single design. It has a lovely garden, where placed in the courtyard of the
from $3; tfl.gov.uk). you can catch the afternoon sun Wallace Collection. The emphasis is
(limetreehotel.co.uk; 135–137 Ebury on seasonal French-inspired dishes,
WHERE TO STAY St; from $230). or you can partake in the English
Rooms in the stylish Citizen M Every bedroom is put together like tradition of afternoon tea
have super-king-size beds and a work of art at the hip Soho Hotel. (wallacecollection.org; Manchester
bright decor. There is a self-service The location is perfect, close to the Square; afternoon tea $25).
restaurant, and the bar/lounge is a West End’s shops, restaurants,
clever blend of designer and homey theaters and big-hitting galleries
style (citizenm.com/london-bankside; (sohohotel.com; 4 Richmond Mews;
20 Lavington St.; from $145). from $347).

106 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 Atlanta’s skyline is Fold 2
dominated by the
Bank of America Plaza
Historic Sights
STATE CAPITOL
The gold-domed capitol, built
more than a century ago (with
gold leaf first applied to the dome
in 1959), is Atlanta’s political
hub. Free tours include a film
on the legislative process. There’s
also a Native American artifacts
museum (gov.georgia.gov/capitol;
206 Washington St. SW;
8am–5pm Mon–Fri; to schedule a
guided weekday morning tour, see Martin Luther King Jr.’s home,
part of the National Historic Site
libs.uga.edu/capitolmuseum).

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH

MINI GUIDE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE The church, founded in 1886 and
This site commemorates the still holding sermons today, is where
legacy of the Atlanta-born civil Martin Luther King Jr. was baptized

Atlanta rights leader. The visitor center

features a map of exhibits detailing
the segregation, oppression and
and served as a pastor, delivering
his first sermon in 1948. The civil
rights leader preached there until

Weekend racial violence that inspired and

fueled King’s work. You can register
at the visitor center for a tour of the
his death in 1968; his funeral was
held in the church. A multimillion-
dollar restoration, completed in
Georgia’s capital – aka the capital of the South – has home where King was born and 2011, restored the church to its
fascinating history, big-ticket museums and attractions, lived the first 12 years of his life 1960s appearance (nps.gov/malu;
(nps.gov/malu; 450 Auburn Ave. 407 Auburn Ave. NE; tours 9am–
and restaurants serving smokin’ ribs and craft cocktails. NE; 9am–5pm; free). 5pm Mon–Sat, 1pm–5pm Sun; free).
Spend a weekend – or longer – exploring the city.

Museums & Galleries Dining Fold 1

WORLD OF COCA-COLA DADDY D’Z

The climactic moment here comes This juke joint of a barbecue shack,
when you get to sample 60 or more consistently voted the best in town,
Coke products from around the has graffiti murals on the exterior,
world. There are also Andy Warhol an all-powerful smoky essence and
pieces to view, a 4-D film to catch, reclaimed booths on the covered
company history to learn and patio. Order the succulent ribs or a
countless promotional materials pulled-pork plate, then top it off with
to behold. You can also visit the a serving of cobbler or cheesecake.
vault that contains the soft drink’s You’ll leave smiling (daddydz.com;
secret formula (worldofcoca-cola 264 Memorial Dr. SE; 11am–10:30pm
.com; 121 Baker St. NW; open daily The vault at the World of Coca- Mon–Thu, to 11:30pm Fri–Sat, noon– Vintage-style furnishings and
Cola that holds the secret recipe menu at the West Egg Café
10am–5pm; $16). 9:30pm Sun; half slab of ribs $17.99).

HIGH MUSEUM OF ART CARTER PRESIDENTIAL WEST EGG CAFÉ LEON’S FULL SERVICE
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This museum is a destination as LIBRARY & MUSEUM Belly up to the marble breakfast In Decatur, 15 minutes east of
much for its architecture as its This research facility and museum counter or grab a table and dive into downtown on the MARTA Blue Line,
world-class exhibits. The striking features exhibits highlighting a salmon cake Benedict, eggs and this no-pretense place sells beer, wine
multilevel building houses a Jimmy Carter’s 1977–81 presidency. grits, banana-bread French toast, a and cocktails – all crafted, small-
permanent collection of late-19th- Carter’s Nobel Peace Prize is also fried green tomato BLT, sugar bacon batch creations – and has a menu
century furniture and countless on display. The 1½-mile Freedom pancakes or short rib hash. All the featuring the likes of pan-roasted
European and American collections, Park Trail leads from here to the dishes are reimagined versions of trout with roasted cauliflower and
contemporary pieces and Georgian Martin Luther King Jr. National classic Southern comfort food, served apple-curry broth. No reservations
folk art (high.org; 1280 Peachtree St. Historic Site through Freedom Park in a stylish and spare dining room (leonsfullservice.com; 131 E. Ponce de
NE; 10am–5pm Tue–Thu & Sat, to (jimmycarterlibrary.gov; 441 Freedom (westeggcafe.com; 1100 Howell Mill Leon Ave.; 5pm–1am Mon, 11:30am–
9pm Fri, from noon Sun; $19.50, Pkwy.; 9am–4:45pm Mon–Sat, Rd.; 7am–4pm Mon–Fri, 8am– 5pm 1am Tue–Thu & Sun, to 2am Fri–Sat;
$9.75 from 4pm Fri). from noon Sun; $8). Sat–Sun; brunch from $9). main courses from $11).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 107

 MINI GUIDE
Atlanta Weekend
Eating Sights Sleeping

Essentials The Know-How

COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM AMY C BALFOUR. PHOTOGRAPHS: STEVE KELLEY/GETTY IMAGES,
GETTING THERE & AROUND MLK FACTS FOR MORE INFORMATION
Atlanta’s huge Hartsfield-Jackson • King was born in 1929, the son of Lonely Planet’s Eastern USA
Atlanta International Airport, an Atlanta preacher and a choir ($24.99) has a chapter on the
about 10 miles south of downtown, leader. He followed his father to the South that includes Georgia,
is a major regional hub (it’s the main

SJEFF HERR PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF THE ARTMORE HOTEL, STEPHEN F SOMERSTEIN/GETTY IMAGES
pulpit and his political speeches rang which is also available to
hub for Delta) and an international out with a preacher’s inflections. download at shop.lonelyplanet.com
gateway. The Metropolitan Atlanta • In 1955, King led the yearlong bus ($4.95). For a schedule of events
Rapid Transit Authority (better boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, see atlantaperforms.com and
known as MARTA) rail line links the The Artmore Hotel is minutes which resulted in the U.S. Supreme atlantamusicguide.com.
airport with downtown, along with from the High Museum of Art
Court removing laws that enforced
commuter routes around town. Buy segregated buses.
a Breeze card ($2 for the card, then A 1924 Spanish-Mediterranean- • In 1963 he gave the legendary
$2.50 one-way fare or $9 one-day style landmark was revamped in “I Have a Dream” speech in
pass; itsmarta.com), which can be 2009, resulting in the artistic Washington, D.C., and the following
loaded and reloaded as necessary. boutique Artmore Hotel. Expect year he received the Nobel Peace
You can rent a car at the airport, excellent service, a courtyard with Prize for civil rights and social justice.
although driving through Atlanta fire pit – an ideal spot for a glass of For more than 10 years he led the
can be frustratingly slow. wine – and a superb location movement to end a system
(artmorehotel.com; 1302 W. of statutory discrimination.
WHERE TO STAY Peachtree St.; from $159).
The 1927 Highland Inn, a In the heart of the arts in
European-style hotel, has a great Midtown, near Piedmont Park,
location in the Poncey-Highland Loews Atlanta Hotel is a new,
area, 2 miles from downtown. It has smart boutique place. Relax in the
its own music venue, the Ballroom Exhale Spa and enjoy the hotel’s
Lounge (thehighlandinn.com; 644 contemporary art (loewshotels.com;
N. Highland Ave.; from $112). 1065 Peachtree St. NE; from $199).

108 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

 Fold 2

Around Stellenbosch
WARWICK ESTATE
This family-run winery started life as
an 18th-century farm. Its Bordeaux
blends are legendary. It offers an
informative “Big Five” wine safari
(referring to grape varieties)
through the vineyards, and picnics
featuring locally sourced produce,
perfect for a lazy afternoon on
Warwick’s lawns (warwickwine.com;
R44 between Stellenbosch and
Klapmuts; tastings about $1.80, Spier’s wine tasting bar, with its
wine safari $3.65). eye-catching chandelier

HARTENBERG ESTATE SPIER

MINI GUIDE Situated on the slopes of Bottelary A chandelier made of Spier wine
Hills, Hartenberg is a pretty place bottles hangs above the bar at this
to spend some time. The winery estate, which has excellent shiraz,

South Africa’s produces award-winning reds,

particularly shiraz. Bird-spotting,
a game of boules on the lawn,
cabernet and red blends. But a visit
here is less about wine and more
about activities such as viewing bird

Winelands wetland walks and fireside lunches

encourage visitors to linger. Cellar
tours can be arranged in advance
of prey displays, browsing the
Saturday farmers’ market and
taking a Segway vineyard tour. In
Indomitable mountains provide a backdrop for vast wine (Mon–Fri) and there’s a play area summer, the Spier Winelands
estates in South Africa’s Winelands. There are more than for kids (hartenbergestate.com; Express train runs here from Cape
M23, Bottelary Road; tastings Town (spier.co.za; R310, off
200 historic vineyard estates to tour, and they’re all about $1.80). Annandale Road; tastings from $3).
within a day’s drive of Cape Town.

Around Franschhoek Around Paarl Valley Fold 1

GRAND PROVENCE SPICE ROUTE

At the heart of this winery is a Resembling more of a village than
revamped, 18th-century manor, a single wine estate, Spice Route is
home to a stylish restaurant and a known for its complex red wines,
gallery of contemporary South particularly the flagship shiraz. It
African art. There is a range of has a lot else going on, such as
tasting options, including grape glass-blowing demonstrations, an
juice tasting for kids, plus charming artists’ studio and gallery, a craft
accommodations. Franschhoek, the beer bar, a chocolatier and two
Cape’s food and wine capital, is a restaurants. The estate has views
five-minute drive (grandeprovence over the Simonsberg mountain range
.co.za; R45, Main Road; tastings A table set for lunch in the shade (spiceroute.co.za; Suider Agter Paarl Decanting a fine bottle of red at
at La Motte wine estate the Spice Route winery
from $1.80, cellar tours $2.20). Road; tastings from $1.80).

LEOPARD’S LEAP LA MOTTE GLEN CARLOU KWV EMPORIUM

Tear out page here then fold along dotted lines

A more casual approach greets This sprawling estate just west of Glen Carlou is a relatively young The bonus with KWV Emporium is
tasters at Leopard’s Leap, where the Franschhoek has lots to keep visitors upstart compared with many other that it’s just a short walk from Paarl’s
bright, modern, barnlike tasting entertained, including a 3-mile Wineland estates, but the wines are train station, so no restraint is needed
room has comfy sofas strewn around circular hiking trail and a history award-winning. The tasting room at the tasting table. The estate has
and the lawns have a jungle gym for walk. La Motte’s shiraz is superb and has a panoramic view of Tortoise won awards for its fortified wines and
kids. The owners are passionate its Pierneef à la Motte restaurant Hill and Paarl Valley, and there’s a innovative tasting pairings, including
about the conservation of the area’s dabbles in wine-pairing lunches contemporary art gallery and a wild brandy and fudge, and a combo that
Cape Mountain leopard, and their and dinners. A collection of works garden full of indigenous flora. The matches wines with biltong (dried,
work with a local trust is outlined by South African artist Jacob estate is renowned for its Bordeaux cured meat) and nuts. For teetotalers,
through displays on the estate Hendrik Pierneef is on show blend and sumptuous chardonnay there’s a tea and chocolate pairing
(leopardsleap.co.za; R45, Main (la-motte.com; R45, Main Road; (glencarlou.co.za; Simondium Road, (kwvwineemporium.co.za; Kohler
Road; tastings from $1.80). closed Sun; tastings from $3.65). Klapmuts; tastings from $1.80). Street; tastings from $3.65).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 109

 MINI GUIDE
South Africa’s Winelands
Drinking Sleeping

Essentials The Know-How

GETTING THERE & AROUND ADMIRING THE VINES FOR MORE INFORMATION
Cape Town is the gateway city for • If you don’t want to drive, and a Lonely Planet’s Cape Town & the
forays into South Africa’s Western tour group doesn’t appeal, try the Garden Route ($21.99) covers the
Cape Winelands. Buses run from Vine Hopper, a hop-on, hop-off Winelands; the “Day Trips &
the airport into Cape Town every service that visits 12 wineries in Wineries” chapter can be down-
half hour (about $4.50 single). Stellenbosch (vinehopper.co.za; loaded at shop.lonelyplanet.com
Frequent trains run from Cape $13 per day). ($4.95). Cape Town is among the
Town to Stellenbosch in around an • Bike ’n Wines Tour is a highly cities included in Lonely Planet’s
hour and to Paarl in 75 minutes Chamonix is situated high above recommended carbon-negative Guides app, featuring maps,
(metrorail.co.za; $1 single). The Baz the fertile Franschhoek valley
company that organizes short cycle must-see sights and more. Platter’s
Bus tourist bus runs from Cape rides taking in a handful of South African Wines is the top
COMPILED BY NATALIE PARKES, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM LUCY CORNE
Town to Stellenbosch (bazbus.com; Chamonix is a wine estate in Stellenbosch or Franschhoek annual guidebook to the nation’s
$20). You’ll need to take a taxi from Franschhoek with a Cape Dutch- wineries (bikesnwines.com; tours wines, with tasting notes and
Stellenbosch to Franschhoek, or style lodge, luxurious “bush” forest from $41). ratings (wineonaplatter.com).
rent a car at the airport (from $13 suites and guesthouses. There’s • The Franschhoek Wine Tram
per day; avis.com). also a private wildlife reserve where (pictured) is a fun alternative to the
guests might spy zebra, ostrich, usual tour and uses a tram and
WHERE TO STAY eland and springbok (chamonix open-sided bus. There are four
With its elegant Georgian and .co.za; from $67). routes to choose from (winetram
Victorian architecture, the university Grand Roche Hotel is a divine .co.za; from $15).
town of Stellenbosch is a good base Cape Dutch manor house in the • For an unforgettable experience,
for wine touring. Summerwood shadow of Paarl Rock. Historic take a hot-air balloon trip over the
Guest House, built in 1904, is a outbuildings have been transformed Winelands, departing from Paarl
stately mansion by a nature reserve, into more than 30 luxurious suites. with Wineland Ballooning (kapinfo
with bright rooms and a pool There’s an award-winning .com; $190).
(summerwood.co.za; 28 Jonkershoek restaurant, too (granderoche.com;
Rd.; from $57). Plantasie Street; from $186).

110 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

Breathtaking images,
brand-new perspectives.
Explore every country in the world from A to Z with The Travel Book
– Lonely Planet’s definitive, bestselling tome. With 230 countries &
destinations to explore, and more than 800 stunning photographs to
inspire, it’s the perfect gift for armchair travelers and globetrotters alike.

visit lonelyplanet.com/travel-book
 Reflections
from the Road

NAME:
Lily Stockman
@lilystockman

OCCUPATION: WHERE YOU’LL

FIND ME:
Painter & cofounder of
Block Shop Textiles Los Angeles,
Joshua Tree or Jaipur
MORNINGS IN JAIPUR // My sister and I run
Block Shop Textiles in downtown Los Angeles and Jaipur, India. We
spend about two months out of the year in Rajasthan, and one of our
favorite traditions is to start the mornings at the flower market to say
hi to our favorite phoolwalas and get a cup of chai. It’s a great way to
see the crumbling splendor of the old city before the city wakes up.

AFTERNOONS IN LA // I’m reading Eve Babitz EVENINGS IN JOSHUA TREE //

right now and Slow Days, Fast Company makes me fall in love with Los My husband and I are forever fixing up our tiny pink 1952 homestead
Angeles all over again, from the leafy hamlet of Mount Washington cabin up on the mesa northwest of Joshua Tree, California. The house
to the faded glory of downtown’s art deco movie palaces. For the is too small for parties, so we usually congregate outside around the
best taste of LA, track down the Kogi taco truck for a truly Angeleno bonfire or head to local honky-tonk Pappy & Harriet’s for margaritas
invention of Korean barbecue, kimchi and traditional tacos al pastor. and ribs while the band covers Gram Parsons and Johnny Cash.
HEADSHOT: LAURA DART

Lonely Planet (ISSN 2379-9390). Winter 2016, Volume 2, Number 4. Published four times a year (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter) by Lonely Planet Global, Inc., 230 Franklin Road, Building 2B, Franklin, TN 37064. Application
to mail at Periodicals postage prices is pending at Franklin, TN, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Lonely Planet, PO Box 37520, Boone, IA 50037-0520. Subscriber Services, U.S., Canada
and other International: Direct all inquiries, address changes, subscription orders, etc. to Lonely Planet, PO Box 37520, Boone, IA 50037-0520. You may also access customer service via the web at lonelyplanet.com/usmagazine
/customerservice, via email at lnpcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com or by phone at 800-829-9121. Subscribers: If the Post Office alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected
address within one year. Please allow up to eight weeks for delivery of your first issue. Subscription rates: 1 year $12.00 domestic only; in Canada, $20; other International, $35 (Publisher’s suggested price). Single copies $5.99.

112 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016

MAKE BRE AKFAST

Photo By: Peggy Sirota

HAPPEN
SO KIDS
CAN BE
HUNGRY
FOR
MORE
I was one of our nation’s hungry kids growing up. Today, 1 in 5 children in America
struggle with hunger. But when they get breakfast, their days are bigger and brighter.
Learning, attention, memory and mood improve. Together, we have the power to
get breakfast to kids in your neighborhood — let’s make it happen. Go to hungeris.org
and lend your time or your voice.
Viola Davis, Hunger Is Ambassador

Hunger Is® is a joint initiative of the Albertsons Companies Foundation and the
Entertainment Industry Foundation, which are 501(c)(3) charitable organizations.
 GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL IS
ONLY GREAT IF YOU GET BACK.
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