CONTRIBUTORS

Sarah Gillespie Ireland’s coast draws many road-trippers,

Colophon

Editorial Director & Chief Operating Officer: Maria Pieri

DON’T MISS

MEET THE HEADLINERS Food Festival 2025

DAY TWO CASTLES & CHURCHES

Morning Glide back south to Athlone —

GO FURTHER THE UPPER SHANNON

Left: The River Shannon flows through 11 counties,

Q&A WITH ANGUS AN

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE NEIGHBOURHOOD? Fraserhood, which borders

A PERFECT DAY IN TOFINO

Windswept surfing beaches, rainforest hikes and seaweed spas are all on offer at this bohemian outpost on Vancouver Island

BRITISH COLUMBIA

IN NUMBERS

IN THE GIANTS’ WAKE

A sea kayaking journey through the Johnstone Strait offers eye-to-eye encounters with orcas, humpbacks and sea lions.

SIX DAYS ON THE TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY

Adventure awaits around every bend on this storied road, which travels from the rainforest up into the craggy Rocky Mountains

SECRETS OF THE FOREST

Harrison Hot Springs is British Columbia’s Sasquatch capital — and its legends owe their roots to First Nations storytelling.

THREE OF THE BEST ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIKES

Explore trails in British Columbia that criss-cross Canada’s most spectacular mountain range — whatever your level of experience and fitness

FIRE STARTER

Lanzarote’s volcanoes have inspired locals to make everything from art to wine. A tour of the island reveals the landscape’s impact, including lava-sand beaches, caldera hiking trails and a subterranean cave

AFTER THE STORM

Sierra Leone’s present beauty and past pain are intimately bound. A journey from the West African country’s jungles to its jade-green shores reveals a nation with its eyes fixed on the road ahead

BIG CAT COUNTRY

THE WORLD’S LARGEST WETLAND, BRAZIL’S PANTANAL IS HOME TO AROUND 5,000 JAGUARS AND IS THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH TO SEE THE ELUSIVE CATS IN THE WILD. AND AT AROUND 70,000SQ MILES, THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE OFFERS PLENTY OF OTHER WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS, TOO

Classic Alps

THE THIN AIR ABOVE CLOUD LEVEL. THE VIEWS OVER SNOW-TIPPED MOUNTAINS. THE CLIMBS OVER BOULDER AND SCREE, AND THE FIRST GASP OF SHOCK JUMPING INTO A FREEZING LAKE. THE ALPS LE AVE YO U BREATHLESS IN EVERY WAY IMAGINABLE

Paul Cabayé, head chef at Glacier Fine Dining, Grindelwald

WHAT’S YOUR CONNECTION TO THE ALPS? I’m originally

ITINERARY TWO

TRANSALPINE RAIL ADVENTURE

BANGKOK

Thailand’s capital city is a sensory overload, but between the tuk-tukpacked streets and steamy markets there’s a serene, silent side to be found — and it’s now easier to experience thanks to electric boat tours

Editor’s letter

ISSUE 132, MAY 2025

SMART TRAVELLER

ON THE RADAR • WHAT’S NEW • FOOD

BIG PICTURE

Ahaggar National Park, Algeria

CULTURAL KICKS

Early summer brings a wave of new museum openings, from a Dutch gallery dedicated to migration stories to the southern French studio of a celebrated painter

Coastal set-jetting

A NEW FILM TURNS THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

THREE HIKES FEATURING LOCATIONS IN THE FILM

Minehead to Porlock Weir, Somerset 8.9 MILES

BAHRAIN

This Middle Eastern nation’s favourite dishes are rustic, comforting and packed with herbs and spices

Japanese crafts in Inami

IN A TOWN HEWN FROM WOOD, IMMERSE YOURSELF IN TRADITIONAL ARTS AND GET HANDS-ON IN A CRAFT STUDIO

MAHÓN

The capital of the quiet Balearic island of Menorca offers an atmospheric old town, thriving food scene and tranquil beaches

Tuscany’s southern soul

MEDIEVAL HILLTOP TOWNS, AN UNSPOILT COASTLINE AND STEAMY HOT SPRINGS MAKE THE MAREMMA REGION IDEAL FOR MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOLIDAYS

HASTINGS

TRADITION AND INNOVATION COMBINE IN THIS HISTORIC PORT TOWN ON THE EAST SUSSEX COAST IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND

Robert Macfarlane on rivers

HAVE WE BROKEN THE NATURAL CONTRACT BETWEEN HUMANS AND RIVERS? THE WRITER REVEALS HOW WATER INSPIRED HIS NEW BOOK

ROAD CYCLING

Make your bike rides a breeze whatever the weather and conditions, with a range of practical gear designed to keep you and your bicycle safe, dry and visible

Caroline Eden

A SEMINAL TRIP TO CENTRAL ASIA KICK-STARTS AN OBSESSION WITH THE REGION, AND A WRITING CAREER

A THREE-NIGHT SWISS GETAWAY FOR TWO

Courtesy of Davos Klosters and Travel Switzerland, a reader and guest will receive passes to explore a new Alpine attraction in the country’s south east

Sigurlaug Sverrisdóttir

THE HOTELIER HAS HELPED REDEFINE ICELAND’S HOSPITALITY SCENE WITH PROPERTIES THAT CELEBRATE THE COUNTRY’S LANDSCAPES AND RESOURCES

THE BEST HISTORIC SPA TOWNS TO VISIT IN THE UK

England’s history of spa towns stretches further back than vacationing Victorians. Here’s how to experience the restorative waters yourself.

TOP STORIES

Here’s what you’ve been enjoying on the website this month

BEYOND THE TRAVEL SECTION

|ANIMALS| A robot taught these small brown birds

RIVER SHANNON

Take it slow on a boat trip down Ireland’s most storied waterway, which courses through the country’s green heart via millennium-old ruins, village pubs and scattered islets.

DAY ONE BRIDGES & WATER BIRDS

From left: The River Shannon as it passes

PORTLAND

This small US city in Maine packs a seriously big culinary punch, with seasoned farm-to-table restaurants sitting alongside daring newcomers, all inspired by the fertile East Coast backcountry and the Atlantic’s rich waters

LISBON

Portugal’s capital has taken its growing popularity with city-breakers in its stride — antique trams rattle on, fado folk musicians still sing mournfully in low-lit bars and bakers continue to turn out flaky pasteis de nata. But the influx of visitors has quickened the city’s pulse; Portuguese chefs are pushing boundaries and artisans are opening new gallery spaces. Meanwhile, hoteliers are flexing their creativity too, putting lesser-known neighbourhoods like Lapa, Amoreiras and Príncipe Real on the map. The past five years have seen a proliferation of bold hotel openings, from renovated Benedictine convents to game-changing apartments.

BRITISH COLUMBIA FROM RAINFOREST TO ROCKIES

Old-growth woods and mighty mountains make this Canada’s ultimate adventure playground. And a journey across the country’s westernmost province reveals wind-lashed beaches, abundant wildlife and world-class food, too

GO WITH THE FLOW

Deep in Austria’s Hohe Tauern Alps, the spa town of Bad Gastein has long been eulogised for the healing power of its mountain waters. Visit today to enjoy them in all their forms, be it a dip in a glacial lake or a luxurious spa session

A practical guide to visiting The Alps

The church of Santa Maddalena in the Val

Places to find calm in the city

From top: Canalside Buddha statues at Wat Khun

PANAMA CITY

Most famous for its canal, Panama’s namesake capital has been busily reinventing itself. Explore the storied spaces of its old quarter, pockets of urban greenery and vibrant restaurant scene

ASK THE EXPERTS

NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP? ARE YOU AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS, TIPS AND GUIDANCE? OUR EXPERTS HAVE THE ANSWERS…

SAUNA S

Thanks to their increased availability and reputed health benefits, saunas are surging in popularity in the UK —here’s how to make the most of them

May Day

AN ANNUAL CELEBRATION WITH PAGAN ORIGINS, MAY DAY HAS MARKED THE RETURN OF WARMER DAYS FOR MILLENNIA

SAUDI ARABIA

COULD THE KINGDOM BE TRAVEL’S NEXT BIG THING? WITH ITS FLURRY OF TOURISM ‘GIGA-PROJECTS’, FUNDED BY THE OIL FIELDS, IT HAS THE MEANS TO BE — BUT WILL TRAVELLERS CHOOSE TO GO?

INBOX

DID YOU LOVE ONE OF OUR FEATURES? DID A STORY INSPIRE AN ADVENTURE? LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE MAGAZINE AND THE STAR LETTER WILL WIN THE INCREDIBLE PRIZE BELOW.

HOW I GOT THE SHOT

PHOTOGRAPHER CHRISTIAN KERBER ON CAPTURING THE SPLENDOUR OF DRESDEN’S BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE FOR OUR APRIL ISSUE