METEORA PHOTO TOUR

CONTRIBUTORS

Kerry Walker In Sardinia’s wild north, Gallura

Impressum

Editorial Director & Chief Operating Officer: Maria Pieri

DON’T MISS

Guatemala guide Included with the April issue,

KARAKORAM CALLING

Pakistan’s far north holds some of the world’s highest peaks and has a proud cultural identity, but until now international visitors have been thin on the ground. A new hiking tour explores a spectacular corner of an often misunderstood country

City on the edge

The city of Tucson, Arizona, sits on America’s southern border, surrounded by the cactus-strewn landscapes of the Sonoran Desert. Its present-day creativity draws on its Native American and Mexican roots, Spanish colonial heritage and Wild West frontier days

Canada’s spirited city

MISSISSAUGA

The Danube

WHETHER BIKING TO CASTLES OR KAYAKING THROUGH GORGES, A TRIP CENTRED ON THIS RIVER IS THE EPITOME OF EUROPEAN ROMANCE.

MALTA Uncover the islands

From film sets and festivals to underwater adventures and coastal cuisine, here’s how to discover the best of the Maltese islands in 2025.

DRESDEN

Relics of war still linger in this German city but the Saxon capital is defined by a defiant spirit of renewal, with a thriving cultural scene and cutting-edge nightlife

MONTEVIDEO

The Uruguayan capital flies under the radar, but has an atmospheric old town, a rich musical and literary heritage and beachside barrios to discover

Explore the 100-year history of Route 66

ARIZONA

Editor’s letter

ISSUE 131, APRIL 2025

Ishdorj Battsetseg, Mongolia

ON THE RADAR • WHAT’S NEW • FOOD

Teahupo’o, Tahiti

IMAGE: GETTY Surrounded by jungled mountains, the village

Spring adventures

AN INNOVATIVE CULTURAL SPACE IN CENTRAL ASIA AND A PADDLING ROUTE THROUGH NEW YORK STATE ARE AMONG THIS MONTH’S NEW LAUNCHES

NATURE, ART & THE ISLANDS

A new museum and dozens of exhibitions are launching this spring for Japan’s multi-island 2025 Setouchi Triennale

Europe’s style express

AFTER A LONG CLOSURE, DIRECT TRAIN SERVICES BETWEEN PARIS AND MILAN RESUME THIS MONTH, WITH BIG-HITTING STOPS ALONG THE WAY

A TASTE OF MOROCCO

The country’s cuisine has been enriched by many cultures, from Berber to Ottoman, Moorish and French

Active in the Arctic

ON A TRIP TO NORWAY’S ALTA, GET AN OFF-THE-RADAR TASTE OF THE WILD WITH RIVER-RAFTING AND HIKING BENEATH THE MIDNIGHT SUN

OSTEND

Its beach may be most popular in summer, but lively art and culture scenes make this Belgian seaside city a year-round destination

DALMATIAN ADVENTURES

Five reasons why the island of Brač is ideal for families, from laid-back Med culture to kid-friendly cuisine

EXMOOR

THIS LESSER-VISITED NATIONAL PARK IN ENGLAND’S WEST COUNTRY IS A HAVEN FOR WALKERS, STARGAZERS AND LOVERS OF LITERATURE

Time to roam

GREET SPRING WITH THESE TITLES, WHICH WILL GET YOU OUT OF YOUR ARMCHAIR AND INTO THE WILDS

DESERT TRIPS

Exploring these otherworldly landscapes is an unforgettable experience, but with sun, sand and scorching temperatures to contend with, it’s essential to be well-equipped

Laura Coffey

MAP-MAKING, MYTH-HUNTING AND COLD DIPS IN THE SEA MEND THE AUTHOR’S BROKEN HEART ON THE SPANISH ISLAND OF MENORCA

A FIVE-NIGHT TRIP TO TURKS AND CAICOS

WIN

Tricia Simon

THIS GRENADIAN ENTREPRENEUR HAS TURNED HER FAMILY’S SPICE ESTATE INTO A PLACE TO DISCOVER ISLAND HERITAGE, CULTURE AND FLAVOURS

THESE ARE THE MUST-TRY GREEK EASTER DISHES

Food plays a crucial role in Greek and

TOP STORIES

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

SIX OF THE BEST EUROPEAN SLEEPER TRAINS FOR 2025

WHETHER IN THE UK OR ON THE CONTINENT, THERE ARE PLENTY OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO SLEEP ON THE GO. WORDS: CHRISTOPHER BEANLAND

BEYOND THE TRAVEL SECTION

| ANIMALS | These eager beavers saved the

GALLURA

Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda is this region’s calling card, but travel beyond and you’ll discover low-key beaches, distinctive food and mysterious Neolithic sites

HO CHI MINH CITY

Fifty years since reunification, the fall of Saigon is a distant memory and microbreweries, cool cafes and Michelin-lauded restaurants are adding another dimension to the city’s eclectic food scene

THE COTSWOLDS

The Cotswolds fulfils every picture of rural England you might care to conjure. Pretty villages of ancient stone houses curl around country lanes, with low hills rolling between. Handsome market towns brim with antique shops and coaching inns. Sweeping over six counties in the south west, the region was made rich in the Middle Ages by the wool trade, and retains an air of unruffled, comfortable respectability. The Cotswolds’ quality produce has long been brought to life on menus in hotel restaurants and pubs with rooms, but openings and refurbishments over the past decade have brought a dash of retro cool and playful whimsy to the accommodation scene, too.

GREECE

Mainland Greece is often overlooked in favour of its islands — but it has traditional coastal villages and turquoise waters to rival any found further south, alongside hiking trails through the mountains, towering rock churches, unique architectural treasures and some of the country’s best food and wine

IN THE CLOUDS

The footpaths that link the isolated mountain settlements of Zagori offer some of the most spectacular hiking in the whole of Greece. Words: Duncan Craig. Photographs: Francesco Lastrucci

HISTORIC WONDERS

The mainland is full of architectural splendour, from millennia-old canals to coastal forts

COASTING ALONG

Take a gently paced coastal road trip from Kalamata in the southern Peloponnese to Parga in Epirus to experience ancient sites, fishing villages and beaches lapped by the Ionian Sea.

AT A CROSSROADS

For two millennia, UNESCO City of Gastronomy Thessaloniki has been celebrated for its food culture, with flavours imported from across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SOUTH

A sleepy peninsula west of Athens, the Peloponnese offers uniquely Greek experiences ranging from visits to olive farms, boat trips into long-lost caves, rickety old train rides and mountain farm stays

HIGHER CALLING

The region of Meteora combines outlandish topography and improbable architecture to divine effect

THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE

Plot an active break, whether you want to climb up a mountain rife with myths or swim down to a lost city

QUEEN OF THE DESERT

TRAVEL ACROSS AUSTRALIA BY RAIL ON A JOURNEY OF CONTINENTAL PROPORTIONS — FROM SYDNEY TO PERTH VIA OUTBACK GHOST TOWNS, DRAG QUEEN TOURS AND THE OTHERWORLDLY NULLARBOR PLAIN

ASK THE EXPERTS

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

THE NAME GAME

Renaming is in the spotlight —we look at the reasons why places have their names changed and why the move can sometimes be controversial

Dutch tulip season

AS TULIPS BLOOM THROUGHOUT THE NETHERLANDS, WE UNEARTH SOME FLORAL FACTS AND FIGURES

NOCTOURISM

FROM SAFARI ‘STAR BEDS’ TO THE TAJ MAHAL AFTER HOURS, TRAVELLERS ARE INCREASINGLY KEEN TO EXPERIENCE THE WORLD AFTER DARK — HERE’S WHY, AND WHAT THERE IS TO SEE.

IN THE NEXT ISSUE

IMAGE: GETTY BRITISH COLUMBIA Explore this western

INBOX

DID YOU LOVE ONE OF OUR FEATURES? DID A STORY INSPIRE AN ADVENTURE? LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE MAGAZINE AND BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING THE GREAT PRIZE BELOW.

HOW I GOT THE SHOT

JUSTIN FOULKES ON HOW A CHANGE IN THE WEATHER ALLOWED HIM TO DISTIL GREENLAND’S SUBLIME LANDSCAPES FOR OUR MARCH ISSUE

AL WATHBA DESERT RESORT & SPA

WWW.ALWATHBAHOTEL.COM

NATGEOTRAVELLER

CHECKOUT.NATGEOTRAVELLER.CO.UK/

UZBEKISTAN

uzbekistan.travel

turtle

www.turtle.ky

Mirovoyage

www.mirovoyage.com

Sunvil

Sunvil.co.uk

Visit ANGUS

visitangus.com

Aggressor

www.aggressor.com

NAT GEO TRAVELLER

FOODFESTIVAL.NATGEOTRAVELLER.CO.UK

VLORA MARINA

www.vloramarina.com

travelsphere

travelsphere.co.uk/rgs

tulip experience amsterdam

tulipexperienceamsterdam.com

Inntravel

inntravel.co.uk

CATHAY PACIFIC

DRISKILLHOTEL

DRISKILLHOTEL.COM

Heart Milan Apartments

www.heartmilanapartments.com

FYLY YACHTING

Cnto

cnto.org.uk

EXODUS

EXODUS.CO.UK

DISCOVERFLAGSTAFF

DISCOVERFLAGSTAFF.COM

GEROVASSILIOU

www.gerovassiliou.gr

JUMEIRAH

jumeirah.com

HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS

hebridean.co.uk

elixir

www.elixir.cruises

The Florida Keys & Key West

fla-keys.co.uk

Ad Astra

www.adastratravel.com

Travel Essence

QANTAS

qantas.com

KUALOA

KUALOA.COM

TRAVEL CARPATHIA

TRAVELCARPATHIA.COM

OSTENDIAN

OSTENDIAN.COM

ABELIONA RETREAT

abeliona-retreat.com

vamvakourevival

vamvakourevival.org

Forbes TRAVEL GUIDE

HILTONELCONQUISTADOR.COM

Greenland Travel

www.greenland-travel.com

Motorhome republic

motorhomerepublic.com

DOMYA

staydomya.com

Saily

Saily.com

Variety Cruises

varietycruises.co.uk

CALAVERAS

gocalaveras.com

CHISINAU

visit.chisinau.md

TRAILFINDERS

rawarctic

www.rawarctic.com

MOULIN ROUGE

www.moulinrouge.fr

INTERCONTINENTAL