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
UP CLOSE WITH
+ New ways
to fall in love
with Paris

Biking gear

Dominican
Republic
TRIP ALONG SUNSET P OLAR BEARS IN beyond the
BOULEVARD THE WILD NORTH beaches
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and Samsung tech to capture it
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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
Winning
Destinations
It’s here! Our annual list
of the 10 best countries,
regions and cities to visit
in the coming year. You
can start planning now.
p. 58
A Close Encounter
with Polar Bears
Get an up-close look at
polar bears in remote
Churchill, Canada,
where the bears are both
a threat and a livelihood.
p. 68
Walking Sunset
Boulevard
See the City of Angels in
a new light during a day’s
hike along one of
America’s most iconic
city streets.
p. 76
A Glimpse of
Myanmar
Journey from Mandalay
to the Bagan plains to see
ancient temples, then
explore hill country
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.
10 New Ways / Unexpected ways to experience Paris.
Like That ? Try This / Popular travel destinations vs. under-
the-radar locations.
What to Eat in Brooklyn / Acclaimed chef Dale Talde shares
his favorites in the borough.
Pack & Play / Essential cycling gear for an urban jaunt and
an epic tour.
The Photo Story / Women of Mongolia.
Amazing Places / Hotels in converted spaces.
Inside Knowledge / Stay fit while traveling.
Great Escape p. 83 Cover Photo // The northern
Among nature and heritage towns in the Dominican Republic. lights over Finland’s Lemmenjoki
Postcards p. 95 National Park; Photo by
Philip Lee Harvey
Reader photos, including Indonesia and Santa Barbara.
Mini Guides p. 98
Florence / Experience the Tuscany region’s capital on a budget.
Costa Rica / Outdoor activities in a tropical paradise.
Chicago / A night out in the Windy City.
London / Visit some of the world’s greatest art museums.
Atlanta / History, museums and dining for a weekend visit.
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
A beat-up old car,
a few dollars in the
pocket and a sense
of adventure. That’s
all Tony and Maureen
Wheeler needed for
the trip of a lifetime, across Europe and Asia overland
to Australia. It took several months, and at the end
– broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table
writing and stapling together their first travel guide,
Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold
1,500 copies, and Lonely Planet was born.
Founded by the Wheelers in 1973, Lonely Planet
has gone on to become the world’s leading travel
media company, inspiring and informing travelers
across the globe. Our expert writers go in search of
the best experiences, sharing award-winning travel
information in more than 130 million guidebooks
printed so far – covering almost every destination on
the planet – as well as on lonelyplanet.com, on social
channels including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,
in our Guides app and in this magazine.
FOLLOW US
Website | lonelyplanet.com
Forum | lonelyplanet.com/thorntree
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE
Simon Urwin | Simon is a former TV
executive turned photographer. He
has visited more than 75 countries
and his award-winning portraits and
travel photos have been featured in
global publications. He shot our “Photo Story” on the
women of Mongolia (p.24) and our feature on Los
Angeles (p. 68), where he captured the varied and
spirited neighborhoods linked by Sunset Boulevard.
Marcel Theroux | Television presenter,
novelist, screenplay author and travel
writer Marcel Theroux is truly a global
citizen: he was born in Uganda, raised
in England and studied international
relations at Yale University in Connecticut. Writing
runs in his family: he’s the son of acclaimed American
travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux. Marcel
contributed this issue’s feature story on the polar bears
of Churchill, Manitoba (p. 58).
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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
sumptuous Tuscan experience on our Flavors of Italy trip.

Discover all our travel experiences at www.trafalgar.com, call

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

#SimplyTrafalgar

CST#2077132-20
Collect stories, not selfies.
You won’t remember the time you spent staring at your
screen, but you’ll never forget your time with us in Hawaii.
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

The last we checked, people still traveled to see. Which is precisely why we made our Panorama
SuitesSM on our Suite Ships,® 30% larger than the industry standard, and created an expansive
opening that blurs the line between outside and in—and yesterday and today. Our wall-to-wall
and floor-to-ceiling windows open wider than any other window, creating river cruising’s one and
only Open-Air Balcony®—an open invitation to discover and dream. And speaking of dreaming,
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
Paris. The City of
Light has long been
known as a haven
both for lovers and
the forlorn. Here are
some unique ways
to experience the
city, and rekindle
the love affair.
1. SEE THE EIFFEL TOWER –
FROM THE INSIDE.
Designer Gustave Eiffel built a
personal office atop the nearly
1,000-foot tower. The space
has been restored and is now
open for visitors.
• $19 elevator ticket to top;
toureiffel.paris/en
2. SLEEP IN A GLAMOROUS,
HIP HOTEL IN THE MARAIS
DISTRICT.
French fashion designer
Christian Lacroix decorated
Hotel du Petit Moulin, playfully
merging Belle Epoque Paris
elegance with modern designs.
• from $221;
hotelpetitmoulinparis.com
3. STEAL A KISS IN A
FAMOUS CEMETERY.
Père-Lachaise, the world’s most
visited cemetery, is the final
resting place of many famous
people, including Oscar Wilde
and Honoré de Balzac.
• Free admission; paris.fr
PÈRE-LACHAISE'S MOST VISITED GRAVE IS THAT OF
ROCK STAR JIM MORRISON. IN 2011, 40,000 FANS
VISITED ON THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH.
14 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
4. PLAY PÉTANQUE
LIKE A LOCAL.
On Localers’ two-hour “Play
Pétanque in Paris” excursion
you’ll get a hands-on lesson in
the classic French game – sips
of pastis included.
• Pétanque tour $60;
localers.com
5. HAVE ONE OF THE BEST
BITES IN PARIS – FOR LESS
THAN $5.
Du Pain et des Idées, one of
the world’s best bakeries, has
Parisians lining up for crusty
sourdough, orange blossom
brioche, croissants and more.
THE EIFFEL TOWER’S • Closed weekends;
dupainetdesidees.com
NIGHTLY LIGHT SHOW
IS PROVIDED BY 20,000 6. DINE ELBOW TO ELBOW.
SPARKLING BULBS At Le Refuge des Fondus,
diners sit at just two long tables.
PLUS A BEACON OF Only fondues are served, wine
TWO BEAMS REACHING comes in baby bottles, and the
walls are covered with graffiti.
50 MILES. • From $23; +33 1 42 55 22 65
7. WATCH THE CITY ROLL BY 9. TAKE A LATE-NIGHT DIP.
WITH THE PARI ROLLER. The art deco era Piscine
This 18.5-mile in-line skating THERE ARE SOME Pontoise has become a little-
tour draws as many as 35,000
30,000 BAKERIES known late-night spot for
participants every Friday night, locals in the Latin quarter.
beginning at 10 p.m. in the IN FRANCE; 1,100 OF • Evening admission $12;
14th arrondissement. THEM ARE IN PARIS. equipement.paris.fr/piscine
• Participation is free; pontoise-2918
pari-roller.com IN THE EARLY 1900S,
THE FRENCH CONSUMED 10. RIDE A 19TH-CENTURY
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
such as the ceramic fresco at
THAT'S DROPPED TO attractions is housed at
the Bastille platform depicting Musée des Arts Forains.
the French Revolution. ABOUT 3½ OUNCES. • Guided tours $18;
• Free admission arts-forains.com
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.

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 Brooklyn
GLOBETROTTER//
WHAT TO
EAT IN
Chef Dale Talde puts an American twist on iconic
Asian dishes. Here, the Top Chef alum shares his Filipino
heritage, his passion for Asian food and his favorite spots
in NYC’s buzziest borough.
By Lauren Finney | PhotograPhs By guiLLaume gaudet
It’s hard to make it in New York City, but despite an often-cutthroat
environment, Dale Talde has managed to build a restaurant empire. The
energetic and irreverent chef, an alum of Bravo TV’s Top Chef, is a partner in
eight restaurants on the East Coast, including in Brooklyn, where the first
three of his establishments are located.
A Filipino-American, Talde, 38, proudly cooks what he calls inauthentic
Asian. “I cook the food of many Fil-Ams, and those other first-generation
people whose parents are from two different countries or cultures,” he says.
“It’s that kind of mashup of where we are from and where our parents are
from. To us, it’s authentic.”
That means at Talde (taldebrooklyn.com), his namesake restaurant in Brook-
lyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, you’ll find off-the-wall combinations such
as pretzel pork and chive dumplings served with spicy mustard, or yuzu
fruit guacamole with crispy rice and Italian speck, a type of prosciutto. The
menu has no limits to its seemingly oddball yet delectable pairings: roti bread
gets an everything-bagel treatment, and pad Thai gets upgraded with crispy
18 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
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.
oysters and bacon. For Talde, who has cooked some variation of Asian food
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.
Raised in Chicago, he moved to New York City in 2005 to cook
under famed chef Masaharu Morimoto (best known for the Iron Chef cooking
show). He recently moved from downtown Brooklyn to New Jersey, close to
two of his restaurants. Brooklyn is teeming with many ethnicities and cultur-
al groups, so it was a natural choice six years ago when Talde opened his epon-
ymous restaurant. The space there plays off Talde’s personal theme of meld-
ing together the unexpected: ornate 19th-century wooden carvings depicting
elephants and dragons provide the backdrop for his modern, remixed food.
Next up, Talde and his partners, John Bush and David Massoni, are
adding two restaurants to their arsenal. The first is Massoni, an Italian spot
scheduled to open November 1 in the Arlo Nomad Hotel on the East Side of
Manhattan. Rice and Gold, in Chinatown, is set to open in late 2017. “We’re
focusing on anywhere rice is the center of the place: Puerto Rico, the Domin-
ican Republic, Jamaica, Spain, the Carolinas,” Talde says.
Rather than being led by what he calls “ego-driven food,” the new restau-
rants will have a theme in common with the others: community. “We are
warm, understand the locals and give them what they want,” he says. “The
mentality of all our restaurants is we do what we want to do, but we listen to
the neighborhoods because they own the restaurants. It’s their watering hole,
their place to take the kids to dinner, their place to celebrate.”
 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-
purveyor erence. “Green Point Fish & Lobster Co. [greenpointfish
.com] has awesome fish. It’s some of the best you’re
going to get. I love the sustainable fish like Spanish
mackerel, tilefish and the clam section.”
Super Talde heads to Defonte’s Sandwich Shop (718-625-
sandwich 8052) in the Red Hook neighborhood when he wants
a classic Italian combo packed with capicola, salami,
pepperoni, cheese and pickled red peppers. “It’s a
delicious mix of fatty, salty, sweet and sour all in one.”
20 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
Cocktail Talde likes Weather Up [weatherupnyc.com] in Pros-
den pect Heights. “It feels special, no matter what.”
Look for expertly crafted drinks, such as the Toronto
(above), made from rye whiskey; Fernet, a bitter
herb-based liquer; and simple syrup.
Pizza Everything is off the wood-burning stove at Speedy
place Romeo (speedyromeo.com), including the wild mush-
room, egg and sage pizza (above). “Their stuffed red
pepper is super addictive. It’s spicy and crunchy from
a mix of housemade Italian sausage and parmesan.”
 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
accents and industrial fixtures. The 1894
building is located in the heart of San
Antonio's Pearl district.
More Converted
Hotels to Check Out
 
Hilton Molino Stucky
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
Travel and fitness
go hand in hand
for Lonely Planet
Destination Editor
MaSovaida Morgan.
Here, she reveals how
exercising on the road
can enrich your
travel experiences.
During a recent trip to Rio de Janeiro, I took a
lesson in futevôlei (footvolley), a seaside sport that
combines elements of beach volleyball with soccer.
Just being on Ipanema beach was a little intimidat-
ing: most cariocas (residents of Rio) are incredibly
fit, and although I spend a lot of time in the gym,
I hadn’t played a single ball sport in two decades.
After the lesson, it was time for a real throw-
down with a few lithe and strapping locals. Being
able to hit the ball is one thing, but actually clear-
ing the net time and again to score points requires
a lot of endurance and precision – not exactly my
strong suits. There was a moment when I swore I
had the ball as it came over the net and met the top
of my knee, but what I expected to be a deliberate
rebound flew off the court and nailed an elderly
spectator right in the head.
It wasn’t long before I ran out of steam from
the nonstop jumping and diving, but I stayed the
course while huffing, puffing and praying for it to
be over each time I flopped facedown in the sand.
That wasn’t the only time I found myself spent
from trying my hand (or foot) at an athletic activ-
ity in an effort to learn about local life in a new
destination. While I maintain what most would
consider a rigorous fitness routine at home – heavy
30 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
on the strength training, plus dialing in my nutri-
tion – I’m inconsistent when I travel.
Throwing best practices to the wind in favor
of nonstop indulgence while on the road (lest
I miss out on any of the rich experiences that
prompted me to travel in the first place) often
left me feeling like I had to start my regimen over
every time my homeward-bound plane touched
down on the tarmac.
Many journeys later, I’ve learned that main-
taining fitness and being completely present while
traveling are not mutually exclusive when a sense
of adventure and true curiosity about a culture is
at the heart of every experience. Hiking in Peru,
trying the traditional Rapa Nui dance on Easter
Island, and going for a spin on a "sky bike" over
the cloud forest of Ecuador were as beneficial to
my health as my typical workouts at home.
But because these activities enabled me to
bond with the local people in these diverse desti-
nations – whether through their kind and positive
encouragement to keep pushing through the
difficulty, or finding camaraderie in our mutual
exhaustion after a long day of challenging
physical pursuits – they were infinitely more
memorable and enriching.
Staying
in Sha pe
on the Road:
MaSovaida’s Tips
Explore while you exercise: not
all workouts have to feel like
work. Get your bearings in a new
destination while getting active with a
walking tour, hike or bike rental. Also,
local parks make great outdoor gyms.
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.
Rise and grind: Start the day
with 30 minutes of activity.
Whether it’s a circuit in your hotel room
or a jog around the city, this is a great
way to boost energy and may help you
stay conscientious about food choices
throughout the day.
Remember that water is your
best friend. Air travel and adjusting
to new climates and elevations can
dehydrate you. Pack a refillable bottle
and top it up whenever you can, or buy
bottled water if you’re in an area where
tap water is unsafe to drink.
 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,
stunning nature and kind, friendly people. The region, which is
sometimes called ‘Michinoku’ (Backroads), is one rich with myth and
folklore, and has long inspired artists from 17th century haiku poet
Matsuo Basho to filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and animation master
Hayao Miyazaki. Venture into these backroads and you’ll find untram-
pled wilderness and sleepy towns that time seems to have forgotten.
On Mount Zao on the border of Miyagi and Yamagata Prefectures,
winter is ferocious and absolute. The ski resorts that hug the moun-
tain get over 30 feet of snow per season and boast a maximum down-
hill run of six miles. The Zao Onsen resort on the Yamagata side has
over 40 lifts and lots of choices for skiers and snowboarders,
including the Wall of Yokokura with a maximum incline of 38
degrees. Snowshoeing routes through deep powder abound, and
once you get over 5000 feet, mysterious figures can be spotted in
the frozen tableau.
Here, in the subalpine zone, strange shapes emerge like wild hunch-
back figures, stark white, which dot the landscape. A few at first and
then hordes, these figures resemble a menacing army of lumbering
giants. These Juhyou (Snow Monsters), are formed when the wind,
snow, and freezing rain buffet the Aomori white fir trees, clinging to
the branches and collecting until the monsters’ forms emerge. The
monsters march across the snowy plain en masse and make an eerie
sight when viewed at night.
 PROMOTION
To thaw out, visitors can venture further north to Ginzan Onsen in
Yamagata Prefecture. The small hot spring village’s name means
‘Silver Mountain’, as the area was once a thriving silver mine, though
the town is now known solely for its healing natural hot springs and
its nostalgic sensibilities. Sulfurous steam rises from the center of
town, the pungent scent heady in the air, and traditional wooden
inns and shops cluster along the single main street of the town. A
burbling stream runs under the street, which is crisscrossed with
small footbridges to allow passage back and forth, and the area is lit
at night with gas lamps that glow yellow against the night sky.
Guests clad in yukata (lighter version of the traditional kimono robe)
trip along the street in geta slippers, the wooden clopping sound
echoing down the path. They dart between the inns and the small
public baths scattered through the town, some pausing to dip their
toes into the steaming footbath in the middle of town. Each inn also
has baths, and there’s nothing quite like sitting naked in the open
air, chest deep in steaming hot water in a cedar bath, looking at
the side of a mountain with birdsong in your ears. Sore muscles
unclench, tired bones are soothed, and stress melts away when
sitting in the healing waters.
At night, a lavish feast is laid out in the guest’s room, the table brim-
ming with colorful, eye-catching morsels. Yamagata Kuroge Wagyu
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
vegetables or delicately sliced into thin, marbled shabu-shabu for
tabletop hotpot cooking. Also on the menu: fresh sashimi,
bubbling hotpots with enoki mushrooms, scallops, shrimp, and
grilled ayu (sweetfish), a river fish from this region. The meal is
paired with locally made sake, which the area is famous for.
At the tip top of the island sits Aomori Prefecture, the northern-
most prefecture in the region. Here, in the city of Kuroishi, lies the
Tsugaru Kokeshikan, a museum dedicated to the folk art of the
wooden kokeshi doll. These distinctive cylindrical dolls, with their
simple shapes and primary colors, are indigenous to the Tohoku
region, and feature designs handed down through generations
symbolizing local motifs. In Aomori, many dolls are painted with
peonies, which was the seal of a local lord, or with Nebuta, the
image of a fierce local god.
The museum features over 4000 dolls and traces the history of the
kokeshi over more than 100 years. Visitors can try their hand at
painting one of the dolls on a freshly hewn block of maple, under
the tutelage of a kokeshi master. Masafumi Abo, a kokeshi artisan
like his father before him, coaches would-be dollmakers in eye-
brow-painting technique and the proper way to apply sumi ink to
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,
he says, because the dolls are handmade and hand painted. “You
never draw exactly the same face. Each doll is unique.”
The same could be said of a visit to Tohoku. On this path less
traveled, you’re not likely to have a cookie-cutter experience. It may
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,
with high-speed Wi-Fi and diverse entertainment
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;
that grants you access to 21 lifts and 101 trails at Deer
Valley, and 41 lifts and 300 trails at Park City Moun-
tain. Service-oriented companies like Get Outfitted
(getoutfitted.com) and Ski Butlers (skibutlers.com) can
help you round up everything you need to hit the
slopes – from skis to goggles and base layers.
A day pass to a world-class spa, like the one at -farm) for a post-ski
Stein Eriksen Lodge ($50 day pass; steinlodge.com), lunch, or local favorite
gives you access to plunge pools, hot tubs, saunas Silver Star Café (the
and steam rooms. When night falls, head over to High silverstarcafe.com) for a
West Distillery (highwest.com), a ski-in saloon and hearty weekend brunch.
distillery, or check out the rowdy No Name Saloon
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
access to the 14,000 square-foot observation plat-
form, 9,123 feet up the mountain. For those ready
and willing to get active without hitting the slopes, try
snowshoeing or cross-country skiing at Van Sickle
Bi-State Park (tahoe.ca.gov), which straddles the
California–Nevada border, or at Camp Richardson’s
Mountain Sports Center (camprichardson.com),
where half- and full-day rentals are available ($15 half-
day snowshoe rental).
Another option: snowmobiling the 45 miles of
trails at Zephyr Cove Resort (from $135; zephyrcove
.com), which has a fleet of more than 100 vehicles.
If ice skating is more your style, head to the South any season. away from the Heavenly
Lake Tahoe Ice Arena (tahoearena.com) to chan- gondola and a short
nel your inner Nancy Kerrigan or check out a Tahoe walk from some of the
Icemen hockey match. Nearby is secluded Hansen’s casinos at the state line
Resort (hansensresort.com), where the draw is snow – is the Coachman Hotel
tubes and saucers ($20 first hour). (from $179; coachman
For après-ski, try Riva Grill (rivagrill.com) tahoe.com). Rentals are
for a signature “wet woody” cocktail – a slushy available too, through
fruit and rum drink that packs a major punch. sites such as heavenly
German restaurant and beer house Himmel Haus villagecondos.com.
(himmelhaustahoe.com) offers steins and schnitzel,
accompanied by open-mic entertainment on Mon-
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:

2
» DON'T MISS
Wander the walled Old Town
of Cartagena, with its sun-
soaked streets, Spanish-built
churches and bougainvil-
lea-draped courtyards.
4
» DON'T MISS
Feel your heart beat in time
to a pounding waterfall on a
rainforest walk along the 115-
mile Waitukubuli Trail; each
of its 14 segments is designed
to be done in a day.
48 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
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
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
Decades of civil war and violent crime meant Colombian proudly unique culture
passport stamps once were for hardcore travelers only. and landscapes.
Fast-forward to the present day, and the lost years seem
but a dust speck in Colombia’s rear-view mirror. There are
no world wonders here, but the country’s mix of vibrant
culture, nature and hospitality is a rich tapestry woven
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.
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:
SITIKKA/GETTY
mean. For decades, an absence of shiny white beaches has
helped keep at bay the resort development that has swept
through other parts of the Caribbean. Coconut palms are
the only skyscrapers you’ll see here. Visit before Dominica
CLOCKWISE
IMAGES,
gets its first large-scale chain resorts in 2018, which will pave
the way for a new era of tourism.
 5
» DON'T MISS
View the Himalayas from the
rim of the Kathmandu Valley
or see the mountain peaks up
close and personal on treks to
Annapurna, Kanchenjunga
and Everest Base Camp.
LEFT: BARTOSZ HADYNIAK/ GETTY IMAGES, RIGHT: SCOTT DUNN/ GETTY IMAGES
7
» DON'T MISS
Giant wrestlers, thundering
horses and sharp-shooting
arches make naadam festivals
Mongolia’s most visually
spectacular events.
TOP 10 COUNTRIES
NEPAL
Even natural disasters can’t keep Nepal down for long.
The 2015 earthquakes caused devastation, but what is most
striking from a traveler’s perspective is not how much was
lost but how much remains. Landmark temples crumbled,
but others came through with just the odd tile out of place,
and whole swathes of the country escaped serious damage,
including most of the popular hiking trails. Nepal has all
the skills required to repair monuments and infrastructure,
but what it does need is income. By visiting Nepal now
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
NO INSTA- the America’s Cup, where
GRAM the United States will
defend its title. Temperate
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
biggest beneficiary of the economic boom, its transformed
skyline bristling with glass and steel towers. At the center
of this development is a $500 million Shangri-La complex,
to be completed by 2017, featuring a 290-room hotel, an
IMAX cinema and a Hard Rock Café. Beyond the capital
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


TOP 10
REGIONS
1
» DON'T MISS
Unique to Choquequirao
are the stone llamas blanca
(white llama) figures. The
designs are inlaid into the
lower terraces, forming a
pattern of animals across
the slopes.
3
» DON'T MISS
Paddle Sete Ciades, São
Miguel’s twin crater lakes;
one is a deep blue, the other
a brilliant turquoise.
52 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
2
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
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-
PERU lenge the Tongariro Alpine
Crossing as the country’s
Choquequirao, hidden across the deep Apurimac Valley, finest one-day walk.
was the last Inca refuge from the conquistadors. There’s a
4
growing traveler buzz to see it ASAP. A cable car will squeal
NORTH
into life in 2017 (or possibly later; bureaucratic feet are drag-
ging), gliding as many as 3,000 visitors a day to the ruins in
WALES,
just 15 minutes. Visit in the early days, or take the four-day
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
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
Azores offer accessibility from North America and reinvention. Meanwhile,
Europe without the abundance of travelers who have Zip World at Penrhyn
VOLANTHEVIST/ GETTY IMAGES
recently discovered Iceland. The archipelago’s natural Quarry boasts the world’s
assets resemble an array of superlative sights pulled from fastest zip line, and Bounce
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.
 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


TOP 10 REGIONS
7
» DON'T MISS
Tumakohua Pass has a
fabulous array of fish life,
especially in its concentration
of gray sharks at incoming
tide. Go nose to nose with
them on a dive.
“DIVING IN THE TUAMOTUS IS LIKE VISITING
AN UNDERWATER SAFARI PARK.”
Marco Delecluse, dive instructor on Rangiroa
9
» DON'T MISS
Ipoh’s signature dish
ayam tague (chicken
and bean sprouts) reigns
supreme here. Locals
adore Restaurant Lou
Wong for its version.
54 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
8
THE TUAMOTUS,
FRENCH POLYNESIA » DON'T MISS
Close your eyes, and imagine this: you land on a strip of
Cumberland Island is a
coral, surrounding a glinting lagoon of every hue from
slice of unspoiled paradise,
lapis lazuli to turquoise – a perfect ring of islets edged with
with a mix of beaches,
sandbars and ruffled coconut trees. Remember that tropical
forests, marshes, mudflats
paradise that appears in countless advertisements? Here’s
and tidal creeks. Stay the
the real thing. As if that weren’t enough, the Tuamotus
night if you can (the
islands rank among the world’s best dive destinations, and
Greyfield Inn is a great –
that reputation has never been so justified: the number of
and the only – option).
dive areas is growing, and a new live-aboard dive boat is
launching in 2017.
10
» DON'T MISS
Nothing beats landing on
Skellig Michael, the larger
of the two Skellig Islands,
and climbing the 600
treacherously steep stone
steps to reach the chambers
PERAK, MALAYSIA
left by the monks.
Perak’s capital, Ipoh, is nurturing a bloom of vintage-style
cafés and boutiques. The nucleus of this old-meets-new “IT’S NOT THE
makeover is Kong Heng Block, surrounding the imagina- EASIEST TO
tive Sekeping Kong Heng hotel. Here, cheerful joints like
Roquette Café, Burps & Giggles and Bits & Bobs pull a GET TO – AND
vibrant crowd to shop, dawdle and slurp ais kepal (ice balls). THAT’S THE
Meanwhile, guesthouse owners and tour guides on Pangkor
Island are starting to lead sustainable nature walks and POINT.”
village tours. In this sunbather’s paradise, an emerging focus John O’Sullivan, manager,
Skellig Experience
on wildlife is a breath of fresh, sea air.
COASTAL
GEORGIA,
UNITED
STATES
You’ve probably heard
of Savannah – that
Southern belle with a
stellar restaurant scene
and gorgeous 19th-century
mansions framed by oaks
dripping with Spanish
moss. But most visitors
never know what lies just
beyond: a coastline with
quirky towns, historic
treasures and wilderness-
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.
THE
SKELLIG
RING,
IRELAND
A long time ago, far, far
away . . . a small band
of monks established a
hidden base on a remote,
wave-pounded hunk of
rock rising out of the
Atlantic like a giant trian-
gle. With a setting like this,
it’s no wonder the island,
Skellig Michael, made the
new Star Wars location list.
ZU DIAN YEOH/ GETTY IMAGES
To get to this far-flung isle,
you’ll have to take a boat
trip from the Skellig Ring,
perhaps Ireland’s most
charismatically wild and
emerald stretch of coastline.

TOP 10
CITIES
1
» DON'T MISS
The Gironde riverfront is
Bordeaux’s new focal point.
At its epicenter is the Miroir
d’Eau, an immense reflect-
ing pool; in summer, its
picturesque, cooling mist is a
magnet for the town.
3
TOP: PJPHOTO69/ GETTY IMAGES, ARTIE NG/ GETTY IMAGES
» DON'T MISS
Save a day for the beaches.
Whether you head to Venice
to see street performers or
to Santa Monica pier, you’ll
see why the West Coast has
become such a big draw.
2
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
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
They used to call her the “Sleeping Beauty,” but – though of the Zeitz Museum of
she’s hit the snooze button a few times – Bordeaux is now Contemporary Art Africa,
wide awake and ready for action. The new LGV Sud-Ouest the world’s largest museum
high-speed railway line, due for completion in mid-2017, of contemporary African
connects the city with Europe’s high-speed train network art and a post-industrial
and cuts travel time from Paris to just two hours. Its timing architectural marvel.
is perfect. The recently opened Cité du Vin continues the
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.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Despite its reputation as a land of celebrities, health fanatics
and superficiality, LA has been gaining steam as a cultural
destination, and it's more accessible than ever. The 2016
Metro expansion has made getting from downtown to
Santa Monica and everywhere in between much easier;
city initiative Car Free L.A. helps tourists navigate without
wheels; and almost 50 new hotels are in the works. This isn’t
just a beach town, it’s also a commerce capital, where movie
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

4
» DON'T MISS
The secret to visiting the
popular Maya site of Chichén
Itzá, featuring astounding
pre–Hispanic structures 75
miles east of Mérida, is
getting there before the
crowds arrive.
6
» DON'T MISS
The beating heart of Pistoia
is Piazza della Sala, a market
square since medieval times.
Come evening, the piazza
transforms into an outdoor
lounge bar.
56 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
5
» DON'T MISS
Crossing the over-water
walkway past Lake Ohrid’s
cliffs takes you from the old
town to the small sandy cove
of Kaneo, perhaps Ohrid’s
most idyllic place.
“A CUP OF
COFFEE IN
THE OLD
PART OF THE
CITY, THEN
LUNCH BY
LAKE OHRID:
MY PERFECT
COMBINA-
MÉRIDA, MEXICO TION.”
Nikola Cuculeski,
Mérida’s cultural offering is like no other on the Yucatán professional tour guide
Peninsula (sorry, Cancún, you’ve got pretty beaches, but
7
party culture doesn’t count). On any given day you’ll find
a dizzying array of live music, art shows and dance perfor-
mances, and the booming culinary scene is hotter than a
habanero. Mérida has been designated the American Capital
of Culture, meaning visitors can expect a colossal cultural
extravaganza as organizers stage a series of large-scale events
throughout 2017. And here’s the kicker: the beautiful town
» DON'T MISS
ranks among the safest places in Mexico nowadays.
Join a tour at Seoul's
Changdeokgung Palace
for access to the Huwon, a
“secret garden” that’s a royal
horticultural idyll.
PISTOIA, ITALY
Pistoia is sometimes referred to as “little Florence” for its
concentration of art and architecture. But despite its
charms, this Tuscan town sees just a fraction of Florence’s
tourists. That’s set to change in 2017, when the city will
take its turn as Italy’s Capital of Culture. Pistoia earned the
title in recognition of its impressive cultural credentials and
devotion to grassroots ideas and local entrepreneurship. The
award offers the city a chance to showcase an alternative
to Tuscany: one that eschews grand-slam sights in favor of
small towns full of personality and dynamic, living culture.
OHRID,
MACEDONIA
Overlooking the extraor-
dinarily blue waters of its
eponymous lake, Ohrid
enjoys a stunning position
that is best viewed from a
boat. From the water you’ll
see the town’s terra-cotta
roofs broken up by centu-
ries-old church spires (the
city claims to have once
had 365) and overlooked by
the turreted walls of Czar
Samuel’s castle. Ohrid has
transformed itself from
Macedonia’s religious
center to its busiest holiday
resort, and its beaches are
the best by far in this oth-
erwise landlocked nation.
However, a planned new
lakeshore development will
likely change this sleepy
town forever, making now
a great time to go.
SEOUL,
SOUTH
KOREA
The Korean capital is
striving to become a more
attractive and user-friendly
metropolis. Following suc-
cessful projects such as the
Cheonggyecheon, where
an aging elevated highway
was replaced with a park
and waterway, the city will
unveil in late 2017 the Seoul
Skygarden. This time, the
old highway in question –
CELIA HUECK/GETTY IMAGES
a 3,077-foot-long, 55-foot-
tall overpass – will become
the platform on which
trees, shrubs and flowers
will be planted to create an
arboretum of local species.
 8
TOP 10 CITIES

» DON'T MISS
The Miradouro de Santa
Catarina (a viewpoint in
boho Santa Catarina) offers
fantastic views of Lisbon.
Reach it via the Elevador da
Bica funicular.
LISBON, PORTUGAL
It has sights, culture and cuisine, yet Lisbon is rarely
mentioned alongside southern European heavyweights such
as Barcelona and Rome. If this mystifying lack of recogni-
tion is what helps the Portuguese capital remain a bargain,
long may it continue. Add the weakness of the euro, and
the city looks like an unbeatable deal. If you need more
persuasion, consider the museums: from Egyptian artifacts
at Calouste Gulbenkian Museum to pop art at Berardo
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
rocks that edge the steely waters of Hudson Bay and scans
the shoreline for polar bears. A bandolier of shotgun car-
tridges is slung over his seat’s headrest.
Windsor carries three guns and a range of ammunition:
blanks to frighten bears off with noise, paintball rounds that
deliver a painful sting, and, for the most desperate circum-
stances, lead slugs the size of a AA battery – accurate only
at short range, but one of them can stop a rampaging half-
ton animal bent on taking a human life. In the six years that
Windsor has been in charge of the town of Churchill’s polar
bear alert program, he’s had to use the slugs twice.
“What’s incredible about the bears is their speed and
stealth,” he says. “They lay down somewhere and you just
don’t see them.”
Compact and whiskered, Windsor projects the alertness
and physical confidence of a natural hunter, but he’s look-
ing at something that bothers him. A man in an orange hat
is hunkered down between two rocks on the beach, about
50 yards beyond the signs warning against walking in the
area. Windsor has chased two bears out of town in the past
24 hours, both close to this point, where a traditional inuk-
shuk, an Inuit stone marker, stands as a navigation aid for
kayakers and hunters.
// Above, from left: Churchill
steps up its polar bear alert
program on Halloween night.
Helicopters patrol the town and
take visitors on bear-spotting
safaris. // Opposite: Tundra
Buggies are tricked out with all
modern conveniences, allowing
close-up, safe views of the bears
in their natural environment.
I look at the man through my binoculars. He notices me
watching him and slithers out of sight into the rocks. I tell
Windsor that the man seems determined to become bear
food. “That’s what I was thinking too,” Windsor says. “If he
ends up being taken, at least we’ll find his orange toque.”
Keeping the human population of Churchill safe from
bears is a year-round endeavor, but the effort peaks in bear
season. In October and November every year, polar bears
that have been forced off their seal-hunting grounds by the
melting of the Hudson Bay’s ice arrive in the area to await
the winter freeze. As soon as the ice is strong enough to
carry them, they vanish onto the bay. But during the weeks
while the ice is forming, 800 to 900 bears are at large in the
area around the town.
The critical date in Windsor’s diary is October 31, when
the 200 or so children of Churchill take to the streets in
Halloween costumes. “The big focus is the trick-or-treat-
ing. That’s what we man-up for,” Windsor says. He has 15
units on patrol: five of his own and 10 drawn from the police,
emergency services and utility companies. Their task is to
prevent an encounter between children hungry for candy
and polar bears hungry for pretty much anything.
Just after 3:30 p.m., a helicopter makes a circuit of the
town and pronounces it bear-free. About an hour later, the
Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 61

POLAR
BEAR
SAFETY
Polar bears are naturally
curious, and agile consid-
ering their size. If you’re
traveling in polar bear
country, you should read
detailed advice on what
to do if you encounter a
bear unexpectedly. Your
strategy should be differ-
ent depending on whether
the bear is unaware of
your presence, curious
or actually aggressive; in
any case, you should keep
movements slow except
in the extreme event of
an attack, and never run.
For more information, do
an online search for “you
are in polar bear country”
to see the Parks Canada
information leaflet
(pc.gc.ca).
62 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
first groups of children appear on the snowy streets, some
with their parents, some without. The light turns gold and
fades, and the temperature drops. Four-year-old Emily Rob-
ertson is a pirate; her sister Natalie is Winnie the Pooh. A
boy is dressed as Harry Potter’s Ron Weasley; also present
are a scary clown, a girl in a pumpkin costume, and assort-
ed vampires and ghouls. As darkness falls, there is a sudden,
morbid thrill in knowing that somewhere out there lurks
something genuinely worthy of our fear.
Churchill has a complicated relationship with its
bears. They are both an economic opportunity and an
existential danger. The tiny town – population about 800 –
was established in the 18th century and has been variously a
fur-trading post, a military base and a port. Today its economy
depends on nature tours. Churchill is the self-described
“polar bear capital of the world.” It hosts 10 times its popu-
lation in tourists, who come to see the bears. Nowhere else
on Earth can you see polar bears so close, so reliably and in
such great numbers.
Until 2005, a large open-air dump drew bears to town,
and tourists could have a cheap – and dangerous – polar bear
safari by renting a vehicle and driving there (“They were fat,
garbage-fed bears,” Windsor says). The dump has closed and
// 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.
now the only way to see the bears is on a tour of Churchill
Wildlife Management Area or Wapusk National Park.
The animals can be viewed from the air by helicopter, or
on specially built Tundra Buggies that trundle 15-odd miles
out from the city into the elemental landscape of snow,
rocks, stunted Arctic willow and frozen water.
During the three days I spent in the Churchill Wildlife
Management Area, I counted 48 separate encounters with
polar bears: poking under the snow with their long, black
tongues, scratching themselves on willow bushes, sprawling
comically on kelp beds, play-fighting, standing up on their
hind legs to peer curiously inside the vehicle. I saw sibling
bears, mother bears traveling with grown cubs, and huge
lone male bears with faces scarred from the vicious compe-
tition for mates. The strange enchantment of watching the
bears never palled.
The animals have an incredible allure. I found them huge,
charismatic, otherworldly. Cuddly and menacing, comic and
melancholy, they are the Tony Soprano of mammals. Watch-
ing them for hours, as they cavorted, relaxed, munched kelp
and sparred gently with one another, I could never quite
rid myself of the thought that I was looking at humans in
bear suits. There is something deeply uncanny about them:
their size, idiosyncratic stiff-legged gait, huge paws and oddly
“SOMEWHERE
OUT THERE
LURKS
SOMETHING
G E N U I N E LY
WORTHY OF
O U R F E A R .”

// This page: Locals avoid
walking alone at night. Vonda
McPherson walks with her dog,
Chocolate. An Inuit navigational
marker. // Opposite, from left:
Erin Greene survived a polar
bear attack. Climate change is
thought to be forcing polar bears
inland for longer periods.
64 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
human five-toed footprints. The Inuit traditionally credited
the nanuq, as they call the bears, with supernatural powers,
and even today Inuit hunters will avoid speaking about the
polar bear, fearing its ability to overhear and understand dis-
tant human conversations.
An entire industry has grown up around Churchill’s
bears. The Tundra Buggies in which visitors view the animals
are enormous and heated, built up high on huge axles, with
viewing platforms at the rear. In October and November,
mobile luxury hotels are stationed out on the tundra, like a
strange combination of safari lodge and lunar base.
In the luxurious isolation of the lodges, guests rub shoul-
ders with scientists conducting research, make trips to the
tundra, and return to dine on braised venison and Arctic
char. I found the experience of living aboard for several days
thrilling, but mildly claustrophobic. Watching the bears lope
past the window of my bunk at night and in the early morn-
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)
and a polar bear hotline that residents are instructed to call
at the first sign of a bear. Windsor’s teams respond to the
callouts; they scare the animals out of town, chasing them on
foot and firing blanks or paintball ammunition to keep them
on the move.
Some bears require stronger deterrence. Stubborn recidi-
vist bears get darted and taken off to polar bear jail: a gloomy,
windowless hangar on the outskirts of town, where they’re
kept in separate cells and given only water for 30 days. Once
the time is up, or when the ice has formed, they’re carted out
to the bay by truck, or flown north by helicopter. On the day
I meet Windsor, the jail – or polar bear holding center, as it’s
officially known – had 12 furry inmates. Windsor categori-
cally refuses to let me go inside. “We don’t want the animals
to get used to human beings, and it’s a question of liability,”
he says. “We had our last fatality in 1983, and that’s a record
we want to stand for a long time.”
 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
Station in downtown Los Angeles. Framed by slender Mexican fan
palms and stylishly illuminated, its Spanish arches and bell tower glowed a deep
blue. “I’m walking to the beach,” I mentioned to a security guard nearby. My
destination, to be reached by day’s end, was about 26 miles away down a
single street: Sunset Boulevard.
“Good luck with that,” she said dismissively. I shrugged and turned toward
the Terminal Annex post office across the street, where Charles Bukowski
– the drunken “laureate of American lowlife,” as Time referred to him –
had worked for 12 years and where his classic novel, Post Office, takes place.
I paused to think about my town.
I’m a rare third-generation Angeleno, and when people ask what I love
about LA, I say that it’s the most open-minded city in America. That’s both
70 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
a blessing and curse. In Los Angeles you can do anything, become anyone.
Industries, religions, cults and fads have been invented and reinvented here,
along with countless faces, bodies, lives and careers. Yet, it lacks cohesion. It’s
a city of distinct neighborhoods quilted together, which makes it daunting
for a visitor. Our gifts are often cloaked and overlooked.
Sunset Boulevard bridges many of those barrios and operates as a portal to
the city’s soul. It’s teeming with artists and immigrants, rebels and renegades,
dreamers and superstars. I know because I’ve walked this famed route’s full
length once before, back in March 1999, when I had a day job and fantasized
of writing my way around the world. Since then I’ve been fortunate enough
to gain a few successes as a writer, earned some battle scars, and now that
LA has hit a millennial-driven cultural renaissance, I was interested to go in
search of what had changed.

“LA has hit a millennial-driven
cultural renaissance.”
Mile
2 ECHO PARK I stepped past the dormant taquerias of Olvera
Street – where the scent of smoldering chilies filtered through the
original Mexican settlement, Pueblo de Los Angeles – and pressed on to
LA’s neighborhood of the moment: Echo Park. South of Sunset were the
wonderfully restored Victorians of Angelino Heights and the lotus blossoms
of Echo Park Lake, while on street level tasteful small businesses stood
shoulder to shoulder near the turnoff to the mid-century gem that is Dodger
Stadium, home to baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers for more than 50 years.
Seventeen years ago, I walked this stretch in a downpour, and took shelter
among the gangsters, grandmothers, working people and school children,
almost all of whom were Latino and patronized inexpensive clothing stores
and Mexican bakeries. Now there are high-end vintage shops, designer-
owned boutiques, and chic cafés and bars patronized by moneyed hipsters.
From far left:
Union Station // Dodger
Stadium // Pork with
cherry reduction at
Ostrich Farm // Jaime
Turrey and Brooke
Fruchtman, owners of
Ostrich Farm
Unassuming Ostrich Farm, one of the farm-to-table kitchens that make the
Eastside food scene so exciting, is the best of the bunch. “It’s a neighborhood
restaurant,” said Brooke Fruchtman, who owns it with her husband, chef
Jaime Turrey. “Ninety percent of our customers are local.”
I’d dined there the night before, and my favorite dish was a take on a
ceviche tostada with thin slices of spiced scallops and octopus layered with
mango on pappadam. It tasted like the new Echo Park itself: complex and
creative, with Latin tang.
Gentrification comes in waves, often organically. Pioneering artists and
students desperate for cheap rent are followed by those with the liquid to
buy homes and attract businesses to serve them. Turrey, whose grandparents
are from Mexico, and Fruchtman arrived in 2014 when Echo Park was already
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-
hip Silver Lake neighborhood, I landed in a jumble of Armenian delis
and bakeries, Thai noodle kitchens and sweet shops. A collage of signage
overlapped in three languages. Some call East Hollywood Little Armenia;
others call it Thai Town.
“The communities developed together,” said Tereza Yerimyan, president
of the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council. Thousands of Armenians
immigrated in the 1950s, and nearly 50,000 more came in the 1970s when
word spread about the climate, well-paid work on movie sets, and affordable
housing. After the fall of the Soviet Union, still others arrived through the
green card lottery. That’s when Yerimyan moved here from Armenia as a
young girl, just as the Thai community started to flourish. “We share the same
values and have similar needs, like low income and senior citizen housing,”
72 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
she said of her twin constituencies. “It’s the most diverse district in the city,
and it’s going through a face-lift.” Trouble is, in Hollywood, face-lifts don’t
always turn out so well.
While Echo Park has evolved one small business at a time, Hollywood is
becoming what Yerimyan called, “a mini downtown,” thanks to top-down
development of high-rises offering retail, office and residential space at a
premium. Yerimyan pointed to a 20-floor building slated to take the place
of Amoeba Music, LA’s last great record store and a Hollywood landmark,
near where the Walk of Fame wanders down to Sunset from Hollywood
Boulevard. “It will bring a new population, but not ethnic families,” she said.
Yerimyan, a tireless community advocate, has helped defeat other mega
projects, and continues to fight to preserve her authentic, multi-layered
neighborhood – the kind that makes most cities great.
 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
east, Sunset Strip – the 1.5-mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard that was
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
music scene are still standing, but others have closed. Even though the Strip’s
luxury hotels remain relevant and blessed with superlative views (none better
than from the pool of the Andaz) contemporary nightlife trends toward the
DIY, indie aesthetic of LA’s Eastside – Silver Lake, Echo Park and Downtown
LA – rather than the dated set piece glamour of yesterday’s Sunset Strip.
Fantasy has been swapped for realism, and sure, LA feels smarter now, but
it’s less uninhibited. The December 2015 loss of musician Lemmy Kilmister
was the perfect metaphor for the Strip’s demise. Kilmister, who led the heavy
metal band Motörhead, was a regular at its most storied dive, the Rainbow
Bar & Grill, once a hair rocker’s playpen. Today, it’s often deserted, but
Kilmister is still there, immortalized in bronze.
Mile
12 BEVERLY HILLS & BEL AIR I paid my respects then skirted
the garden mansion district of Beverly Hills, where neatly manicured
gardens, immense villas, and Will Rogers Memorial Park, with its elegant
palms and gurgling fountain, are begging for the odd pedestrian to absorb
their grace. Meanwhile the land of no sidewalks where Sunset snakes along
the base of the Bel Air hills is all about the automobile. I marched through
sprawling ivy patches, on trails blazed by domestic workers, and dodged
onrushing traffic charging 50 mph around blind corners. West LA landmarks
revealed themselves near and far: UCLA, the Getty Center art museum and
a completely gridlocked 405 freeway.

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 73


“In Los
Angeles
you can do
anything,
become
anyone.”
Mile
20 PACIFIC PALISADES The last six miles proved to be torture.
My legs ached, my feet bled. I plugged in my headphones and kept
moving. All day I’d stepped around and over my city’s discards. Farther east
there had been homeless people sleeping on cardboard pillows and addicts
nodded off in wheelchairs; now it was old clothes, tire fragments, way too
much plastic waste and a dead rat. I shut my eyes trying to smell the rain
that had spontaneously drenched me on a Hollywood sidewalk hours ago,
and when I opened them the discarded had morphed into manicured rose
gardens, stunning estates, and the green mountains of the Pacific Palisades.
When I reached the entrance to the Riviera Country Club, the first glimpse
of Pacific blue flashed in the distance. This was a welcome tease, and helped
to inspire me when I was starting to slip. With just over a mile to go, the road
rose up for the last time, and the ocean spread out beyond the famed Lake
Shrine spiritual sanctuary.
I’d reached Paramahansa Yogananda’s planned paradise, a public meditation
garden, where some of Gandhi’s ashes are buried. Yogananda was one of the
first yoga masters to teach in America. He arrived in LA in 1920, penniless,
74 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
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
and would build his Self-Realization Fellowship into a benevolent empire.
In addition to the Lake Shrine, he has a temple farther east in Hollywood and
another on Mount Washington, north of downtown. In many ways his story
is quintessential LA. He was a creative eccentric with a big heart and enough
charisma, vision and faith to expand to the zenith. Another supernova in a
city, on a boulevard, of dreamers and doers.
I paused and took my last swig of water, smiled, then kept moving, one
painful step at a time. Each one became easier than the last, thanks to the
broadening ocean view before me and my own forward momentum. I arrived
at the sea as the sun was setting, just before 7 p.m. A burnt orange aftershock
spread across the sky. Behind me, a bustling boulevard, ever evolving and
filled with possibility, wrapped around a bend and disappeared. I kicked off
my shoes and dived in.
Adam Skolnick, author of One Breath: Freediving, Death and the Quest to Shatter Human
Limits, has contributed to more than 30 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the latest
Los Angeles, San Diego & Southern California guide.
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
Petit Ermitage
An eclectic art collection adorns
the walls of this hotel, a link to its
namesake, the Hermitage, in Russia.
A Mediterranean theme is carried
through the former apartment building,
which has a members-only rooftop.
From $300
petitermitage.com
Andaz West Hollywood
Its former life was as the famed
Hollywood Hyatt House – aka the Riot
House – where Led Zeppelin drummer
John Bonham once roared through
the halls on his Harley. These days it’s
got a clean, modern boutique feel and
marvelous views.
From $289
westhollywood.andaz.hyatt.com
EAT
Ostrich Farm
This is Sunset Boulevard’s finest
farm-to-table New American kitchen.
The craftsman cocktails work, too.
ostrichfarmla.com
Jitlada
Expect a wait at this superlative
Southern Thai kitchen that offers dishes
you can’t find anywhere else in LA.
jitladala.com
Van Bakery
Get your sugar craving sated by the
best baklava in the city here, in Little
Armenia.
(323) 466-2450
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Download
Lonely Planet’s free Guides app
(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
One hundred miles east of the Bagan plains, high in the hills above Kalaw,
the people of Pane-Ne-Pin village are preparing for a feast. It’s Full Moon
Day, the most auspicious day of the month in the Burmese calendar, and the
villagers are getting ready to make the journey to their local monastery.
They’re dressed in their best outfits: striped turbans, pink longyi, and pur-
ple velvet jackets spangled with sequins, all sewn on by hand. A few of the
women are busy preparing a picnic, cooking chickpea-flour fritters in a heavy
pan over a smoldering wood fire. Others sort gifts for the monks from a pile
of newly woven blankets in the village’s meeting house. Once they’re ready,
they set out along the valley, chatting and giggling as they trek past tin-roofed
houses and terraces cloaked with plantations of orange and tea.
Established by British governors more than a century ago as a summer hill
station where colonial families could escape from the suffocating heat of the
surrounding plains, Kalaw stands at an altitude of some 4,300 feet. Ringed by
hills and furrowed by valleys, the area enjoys a climate ideal for farming, and
it’s become one of Myanmar’s most important agricultural regions, producing
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
popular is the three-day path between Kalaw and Inle Lake, which winds
across the spine of the Shan Hills.
Than Win Tun has spent his life exploring the trails around Kalaw. He
now works as a professional hiking and nature guide. “I don’t think I could
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
He stoops to pick some leaves sprouting by the trail’s edge. One of the
plants is a type of wild mint, he says; the other a natural antiseptic. “It’s good
for cuts and bruises,” he explains. “And you can make a tea from it when you
have a cold. Nearly every plant can be used for something.”
Where once Kalaw’s hills would have been covered in ancient forests of
teak, fig and banyan, over the past century much of the land has been cleared
for logging and agriculture. But gradually farmers are realizing the benefits
of keeping the forest intact, as a way of preventing soil erosion and retaining
underground water reservoirs.
“For a time, people forgot why the trees were important,” says Than Win
Tun, pausing to run his hand along the trunk of a gigantic fig tree. “But now
they’re remembering. That makes me feel positive about the future.” He
rounds a bend in the trail and emerges on the outskirts of another village,
where a group of pink-robed nuns sweep the shrine’s platform with bamboo
brooms and lay wreaths of jasmine flowers in honor of Full Moon Day.
“Life in the hills never changes much,” Than Win Tun says, as incense
smoke fills the treetops, and the shrine’s prayer bells tinkle in the cool breeze.
TRAVELING RESPONSIBLY
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
army has remained a behind-the-scenes presence, taking a slice of most
transactions, from park entry fees to hotel bills. Spread your money around
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.
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
long haul trip, whether you’re going from New
York to Beijing or Miami to Delhi. With its central
location at the edge of Europe and Asia, Finland is
an ideal place to spend a day or two and discover
a new destination.
Travel with Finnair via Helsinki and you can
take advantage of the country’s new initiative,
StopOver Finland. This program includes
packages and services that are designed for
individual travelers, with options suitable for
stays of anywhere from five hours to five days.
Visitors taking part in the program can take part in
activities like jogging tours of Helsinki, excursions
throughout the country and even short trips to
nearby cities like Stockholm and Tallinn.
Here are a few key spots to investigate while
you’re taking a break in Finland.
Helsinki: It’s just half an hour from the airport to
Finland’s capital, a bustling port on the Baltic Sea
packed with amazing architecture, time capsule
cafes, cutting-edge arts and great shopping
experiences. If you’ve got just half a day to spare,
you’ve got plenty of time to take a sightseeing
tour on foot, by bus or by boat. Save time to shop
for Finnish design and shop for local delicacies.
National Parks: Finland’s national parks are
scattered around the country’s coast, lakes, forests
and peat lands, covering over 3,000 square miles.
These parks showcase the typical characteristics of
Finnish nature ranging from fells and archipelagos
to rift valleys and eskers. Explore the rugged
crags and green forests of Nuuksio National Park
(only 45 minutes from the airport or Helsinki city
center) and the pristine lakes and ancient rock
paintings of Hossa National Park (which becomes
Finland’s 40th national park in 2017!). These
parks offer all kinds of camping, hiking, climbing,
snowshoeing and more.
The Coast and Archipelago: Finland’s coast
boasts the world’s largest archipelago, and it’s a
beauty. Old wooden towns, lighthouses, historical
manors and stone churches populate the region as
large national parks stretch across land and sea.
Lakeland: A journey up into Lakeland is a trip into
the heart of the Finnish identity. Travel through
deep, green forests and rolling hills and enjoy
lakeside cottages. Soak in a sauna and take a
dip in some refreshing lake waters. You’ll also
find Savonlinna – this picturesque city hosts a
renowned summer opera festival in a medieval
castle, Olavinlinna, which is stunningly situated on
a rocky island in the lake.
Northern Lights in Lapland: The Lapland region
of Finland is one of the best places on Earth see
to the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) – they
appear on more than 200 nights here. The area is
an all-around wonderland – summers here enjoy
24-hour daylight, autumn brings unbelievably
colorful foliage and winters are dark but magical.
There are hopping ski resorts like Levi and Ruka
as well as miles and miles of peace and quiet in
rugged wilderness. And since you’re right on the
Arctic Circle, you can pay a visit to Santa Claus at
the ‘official’ Santa Claus Village.
Read more at
www.visitfinland.com
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.
Deep in the untamed Damajagua jungle, Augusto Bonilla
is preparing for the day’s big moment, patchy sunlight
illuminating the pool below him. Watching his guests with
an experienced eye, he tightens the helmet’s strap, his san-
dals squelching on the precipitous rock ledge. “Have no
fear,” Bonilla tells his guests, as he shuffles an inch closer
to the waterfall’s foaming lip, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
“Just close your eyes and jump.” Without another moment’s
pause, he launches himself, like a human cannonball, out
into a hazy abyss of mist.
Seconds later, Bonilla resurfaces in the river’s natural
punch bowl. With a broad grin, he scans the backcountry
surroundings. Above him, palmchats (the national bird of
the Dominican Republic) chirp unseen in the cocoa and
mango trees, while sage-green creepers and vines dangle
over the eroded clay banks. Bonilla lifts his head skyward,
coaxing the band of nervous canyoners 26 feet up to follow.
“Viva hoy y orar por la mañana,” he shouts: live for today,
only pray for tomorrow. Soon after, they too take the leap of
faith, flapping their arms as if in flight.
From Puerto Plata to Cabarete, the north coast of the
Dominican Republic is awash with tanned kiteboarders and
surfers, but a trip inland offers an alternative exhilarating
way to embrace the water and explore the jungle landscape.
Of all the guides who take adventurers into the hinterlands
of the Saltos de la Damajagua, Bonilla is one of the most
84 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
ESSENTIALS
STAY // Natura Cabana, run
by a family from Chile, is on
a strip of undeveloped
beach away from Cabarete’s
main resorts. It has private
bungalows, a thatched bar,
a pool and multilevel
cabanas made for lazy days
hanging out on hammock-
strung balconies (from $90;
naturacabana.com).
DO // Iguana Mama runs
adrenalin-packed eco tours
of the 27 cascades of the
Damajagua jungle (from
$49; iguanamama.com).
EAT // Wilson Zapete’s
La Boca Restaurant can be
reached by river cruise, or
by following the beach road
to its far eastern shoreline
(001-809-667-1960).
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
keep discovering new bathtubs.
Back in Cabarete, kiteboarders, surfers and canyoners
converge again on dry land to unwind after the day’s adven-
tures. Everyone heads to their favorite shack to swap stories,
the bars fill up and the beaches are slowly abandoned, the
skies mellowing from vivid blue to smoky pink. Farther east
at the mouth of the Yasica River, a short pontoon ride across
the delta, a more rustic option is offered. This is the way to
Wilson’s Bar, a breezy beachfront shack, haphazardly built
out of items (palm fronds, fallen trees, a broken surfboard)
left behind in the aftermath of a tropical storm.
At its bamboo counter, the establishment’s owner, Wil-
son Zapete, is cutting up coconuts. To a lilting soundtrack
of reggaetón and salsa, he scoops out their flesh and fills the
shell with crushed ice and rum. The kitchen is firing up a
barbecue while muscular blue swimmer crabs are hauled
straight from buckets in the lagoon into a blackened pot,
reappearing moments later on a platter as a jumble of ruddy-
red claws, with prawns and fresh grilled fish.
It is after nightfall when the diners have finished,
the tinkling seashells suspended from the palm-leaf roof
announcing the arrival of a brewing storm – and perhaps
an impromptu refit for Zapete’s shack. “I first came here 10
years ago,” Zapete says. “I’ve seen so many changes, but only
great ones.” And with that he raises a toast to good times
before disappearing back into the kitchen.
 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
among fruit fields and butterflies.
Only after the first coffee of the day has been consumed
does the factory floor of Monte Alto Organic Coffee spark
to life. Workers empty hemp sacks of cherry-red beans;
operators fill machines with the beans; youths sweep aside
roasted nibs from the evening before.
Keeping watch on the scene is José Ramón Rodríguez,
one of many brothers, sons and grandsons behind the fam-
ily business. The key to quality coffee, he says, turning the
beans over in his palm, is perseverance. Once picked, the
beans are dried, before being shelled, and then roasted – a
magic trick that sees them change from candy-red to dark
chocolate. “Coffee is the only drink for us Dominicans,”
Ramón says, pouring out his fifth shot of the morning. “Just
not on a Saturday. Then our mistress is rum.”
Coffee is just one of many fruits that have made the
town of Jarabacoa synonymous with organic farming. On
the winding road to Monte Alto’s finca (estate) on the out-
skirts of town, the hills are scattered with fruit trees, and
fertile gardens are stocked with bananas, passion fruit, papa-
yas and avocados as big as rugby balls.
The valley lies in the rain shadow of Pico Duarte – at
more than 10,000 feet considered the highest peak in the
Caribbean – and the valley’s cooler 1,640-foot altitude helps
things along. At night, bats feast in the canopies, pollinating
crops of mango, cocoa and guava; during the day, forests fill
with butterflies continuing the good work.
One woman who can recognize most of these species
is Karen Jiménez, a guide at Rancho Baiguate’s butterfly
garden. “This is a Hispaniolan Emperor,” she says, letting
ESSENTIALS one land on her pinky finger, its wings a mosaic of damson
STAY // Rancho Baiguate and powder-orange. “We have breeds that exist here that
is a sprawling eco resort you can’t find anywhere else. Some as tiny as a button, oth-
surrounded by gardens, ers that fly higher than 1,800 meters [5,900 feet].”
stables and waterfalls. As Jiménez wanders through the floral garden, she
The simple rooms are in introduces some of the Caribbean’s rarest butterflies. The
plantation-style houses forests are home to more than 270 species, including the
(from about $125; rancho mariposa zebra, a long-winged, graceful flier with pinstripes;
baiguate.com). The ranch a checkered yellow invader known as the lime swallowtail;
is the best place to book and a flame-orange sprite that darts around as though being
excursions, including constantly chased. This is the fabulously named Julia Heli-
horseback rides to the conian. “It’s always in a rush,” Jiménez adds, tracking one as
Baiguate and Jimenoa it flits through the sun-dappled dell.
waterfalls (from $25) and Rancho Baiguate is home to creatures great and small,
white-water rafting down providing horses for trail rides to the 82-foot-high Baig-
the Yaque del Norte River uate waterfall, which flows into a wooded hollow. Two
(from $50). fudge-colored ranch stallions maintain a brisk trot to the
DO // Free tours of the
cascades despite the late afternoon heat. Led by a couple of
Monte Alto Organic
teenage ranch hands, they stop at the crest of the trail ridge
Coffee plantation run
as the terrain becomes harsher, pausing to neigh and twitch.
daily (ramirezcoffee.com).
Below them, rough-hewn steps plunge down toward a glis-
tening pool bordered with trees, a melodic brook and a sand
bank for rolling out a beach towel. By dusk, the cicadas are
in full song and the watering hole echoes with the joyful
hoots of people splashing and playing; from schoolchildren
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 –
baseball, dominoes and merengue – on the colonial
streets of the historic capital.
It’s first light and Santo Domingo is not yet awake, but
down at the Centro Olímpico Félix Sánchez the morning’s
practice is already in full swing. On the sunbaked field, a
group of youths dressed in peaked caps and faded shorts
is hustling for the next pitch as cries of “Rápido, rápido,
rápido!” ring out from the sidelines.
“I’ve worked on this field seven days a week for 20
years,” says veteran Fausto Sosa, as he marshals the bound-
ary, barking throaty instructions at the players. Dressed in
a ’70s tracksuit and scuffed trainers, a cracked stopwatch
swinging from his weathered neck, Sosa reels off a list
of Major League legends he’s mentored over the years,
including Jorge Sosa, a former New York Mets pitcher.
Turning his attention back to the game, he jabs a finger to
single out the next batter, before giving him a fatherly slap
on the belly. “This little hitter is only 15,’” he adds, “but I
swear he has the mano de dios: the hand of God.”
Nowhere in the Caribbean is baseball taken more
seriously than in the Dominican Republic. Brought to its
shores by Cuban immigrants in the 1870s, the sport is omni-
present in the city of Santo Domingo: kids play with
makeshift sticks in dusty parking lots; older crowds gather
around crackling televisions and radios in tobacco-scented
bars, clinking bottles every time a home run is scored.
It’s drama like this that makes Santo Domingo such
an absorbing city to explore. In the Zona Colonial, a his-
88 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
ESSENTIALS
STAY // Close to the heart
of the Zona Colonial, Billini
Hotel combines a historic
building with modern art
and furniture. A rooftop
restaurant and pool offer
great city views (from $180;
billinihotel.com).
DO // Daily merengue
performances take place at
Creole-style restaurant and
dance hall El Conuco (free;
elconuco.com.do).
The baseball season runs
October to December; the
standout fixture is the game
between city rivals the Tigers
and the Lions (tickets from
$4; lidom.com).
toric quarter of alleyways, arches and cathedrals, endless
intriguing scenes unfold, tempting onlookers to linger.
Sun-wrinkled taxi drivers smoke thick cigars and play
dominoes in the leafy shade of Parque Colón. They sit
beneath the bronze limbs of Christopher Columbus, for
whom the square was named in the late 19th-century.
Around the corner, past the fallen ruins of the 1508
San Francisco Monastery on Plaza de España, a skiffle
band serenades a crowd with an accordion, a double-
headed tambora conga drum and a washboard. After they
earn enough pesos for a few cold drinks, they slink off
to enjoy them in the shade.
Farther along the street, the pace is starting to pick up
at El Conuco, a dance hall restaurant with the faded charm
of a Caribbean rum bar. It’s time for an energetic night
of foot-stamping and merengue, a high-tempo folkloric
dance. Supposedly born from the foot-dragging of chained
African slaves working in the fields, it is today an enduring
symbol of Dominican culture and good times.
On the dance floor, dressed in a full red skirt, dancer
Illuminada Corniel is swaying her hips, her hair tied back
in braids. “One-two, one-two,” she whispers to her part-
ner, as they twirl in a fleet-footed motion that outpaces
the whirring ceiling fans. Around them, flushed couples
pirouette and jive, but Illuminada and her straw-hatted
beau let the rhythm grip them as though they were the
only ones on the dance floor. It’s a mesmerizing specta-
cle, but one almost meriting an R rating. As the saying
in the Dominican Republic goes, “merengue is the closest
you can get to sex with your clothes on,” and this evening
Santo Domingo seems determined to prove it.
 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
Take a boat trip across the swampy waters of a saltwater
lagoon and, with a bit of luck, you’ll spot flamingos and
rare rhinoceros iguanas.
“Welcome to the world,” says park ranger Moreno Perez
de la Paz, as he silences the rhythmic putter of the out-
board motor. He loosely ties the boat to a driftwood
pontoon on the shoreline, glancing back across Laguna de
Oviedo before stepping onto the island. “We’re in dragon
territory now, so keep a lookout.”
Barely covering 10 square miles in the Dominican
Republic’s undeveloped southwest, Laguna de Oviedo
may be a sliver of saltwater on the map, but its reedy shal-
lows, mangroves and remote islands are a haven for all
kinds of wildlife. Part of the Jaragua National Park, it’s the
largest protected nature refuge in the Caribbean.
On a sticky, overcast afternoon, Perez creeps through
the damp thickets with considered footsteps, using a
rusted machete to shape a path. Cocking an ear to one
side, he listens for forest-floor rustles and sounds in the
trees. The signs to look for, he says, are wobbling branches
and falling pungent fruit.
Moments later, a flurry of staccato squawks disturbs
the jungle hush. It’s a white ibis protecting its offspring,
one of a number of residents that nest on the lagoon’s
islands. Perez points through the knotted trees and foliage
to a giant candelabra-shaped cactus that has sprouted into
a makeshift crib. Inside is an aerie of hungry chicks. “False
alarm,” he adds. “We’ll have better luck next time.”
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
briny algae, laying eggs after nightfall. In the treetops,
gregarious birds such as glossy egrets and great blue her-
ons spread their broad wings.
The lack of larger predators also explains why the
lagoon’s remote islands have become one of the last ref-
uges for the rhinoceros iguana, making the Dominican
ESSENTIALS Republic one of only two countries (neighboring Haiti
STAY // Overlooking a is the other one) where it’s still possible to see the nearly
swathe of rainforest, 5-foot-long iguanas, also known as Goliath dragons, in the
Casa Bonita is an eco- wild. At the last count, there were nearly 400 of them on the
resort one hour from the lagoon’s largest islands.
town of Oviedo. Its palm- As Perez clambers across a succession of razor-sharp
thatched cabanas have limestone rocks, carefully negotiating a trail bound by
mahogany interiors and sabertooth agave and multi-limbed barrel cactus, he
Caribbean Sea views. describes his lifelong respect for the national park’s elu-
Meals feature ingredients sive lizard. His father was once bitten by one while out
from the resort's organic tracking, he says. It was a clean wound straight to the
garden (from $235; bone, and it’s a lesson Perez has always kept in mind.
casabonitadr.com). As Perez finishes his story, he flinches. He points
straight ahead, and a soft smile appears on his lips. At the
DO // Moreno Perez de
center of the bower, part hidden in shade, is a steel-gray,
la Paz leads two-hour
brooding male rhinoceros iguana with piercing eyes and
wildlife tours to Laguna
a saggy wattle of thick mottled skin beneath its jaw. It
de Oviedo’s islands
has a crest of horned scales from its nape to its tail, its
from the national park’s
own menacing plate of armor. Unperturbed, the giant
headquarters (about
lizard continues to munch on fallen black mango seeds,
$80 per boat; godomin
much like a cowboy chewing tobacco. Moments later, a
icanrepublic.com).
second, bolder male appears along a bowing branch only
feet away. “Look at that tough guy,” Perez whispers. “He’s
surveying his kingdom now, but he’ll later slip away and
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
Republic in 1492, he declared it to be “the fairest land under
heaven.” The seafaring explorer never reached the country’s
extreme southwest corner, but he really should have made the
effort. The few who do so today find it remains blessedly
isolated, its crescent bays virtually untouched by tourism.
The area’s trump card is the Bahía de las Águilas – or Eagles
Bay – which appears on a map as nothing more than a coastal
highway dead end, near the border with Haiti. But as locals
imaginatively tell it, the nature reserve resembles the outline
of a seabird. The contours of the two promontories are its
broad wings; the midway point between them, its pronounced
beak. And along its feathered, white belly is one of country’s
most remote, yet arguably most attractive beaches.
The fun way to reach this amazing stretch of sand is
to take a 15-minute motorboat from Cabo Rojo, a cape and a
beach with a cluster of cabanas at the tip of one of the bird’s
wings. From here, cruising southeast from the jetty, the coast
begins to disintegrate as though slowly tumbling into the sea.
The cliffs are pockmarked and broken, a series of bluffs covered
in weathered shells and cactuses.
At the motorboat’s stern is Wellington Gómez, a stringy,
twinkly-eyed captain who grew up living just beyond the beach
curve. Surprisingly, Wellington is a modern-day caveman,
having lived in a series of eroded fissures and rock grottoes since
he was a child, only moving into a thatched beach hut five years
92 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
ESSENTIALS
STAY // The town of
Pedernales is a 30-minute
drive from Cabo Rojo.
Here, Hostal Doña Chava
has spartan en suite rooms
overlooking a rustic
courtyard restaurant serving
typical Dominican food
(from about $30; Calle 2da;
00 1 809 524 0332).
DO // Day trips to Bahía de
Las Águilas can be booked
at Rancho Típico Cueva de
las Águilas, a beach
restaurant in Cabo Rojo,
run by the ever-friendly
Santiago Rodríguez (from
$90 for two, including
snorkeling and lunch;
00 1-809-753-8058).
ago. Before then, his family – and the 80-strong cave-dwelling
community he was part of – would eke out a simple living from
the seas as spear fishermen, returning to the caves each night to
light candles in the gloom.
The bay still draws these local fishermen, who cast off in
the shallows for lobster, conch and barracuda. Today the
occasional visitor joins them, lured by talk of the preposterously
blue seas. When clouds peek over the horizon, still the water
retains its turquoise sheen. “Even in the Caribbean this beach is
special,” says Wellington, as he slows the boat in preparation
for the first glimpse of the 5-mile-long bay. “No stones, just
sand, sand, sand,” he says.
When Bahía de las Águilas comes into view, it is bone-white.
The boat slithers to a halt, disturbing a crab. Few footprints are
another sign that day-trippers are as good as alone at this
pristine utopia. This is a beach that has largely been left to
nature. The sounds are the tide and the papery flap of pelicans;
the smells are salty and palm-scented.
At one end of the beach, a family picnics in the shade, having
strung up a hammock. A pot-bellied man snoozes in the
sunshine while his children hunt for seashell souvenirs. With
not a single shop or a shack to distract from it, the sea’s potency is
enhanced. No one can resist diving into the water, not even
skipper Wellington. Stripping to his waist and leaping off the
stern of his boat with a whooping splash, it’s a fitting
homecoming for this most willing of castaways.
 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;
The capital of Italy’s Tuscany region is romanticized the 8:15am–5pm summer, until 2pm
world over, but Florence’s artistic heritage and culinary winter, closed 1st, 3rd and 5th Mon
and 2nd and 4th Sun of month;
flair doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Here’s how to enjoy $4.50, free on first Sun of month).
the “cradle of the Renaissance” on the cheap.
chapels. Works to watch for include
Filippino Lippi’s poorly lit Madonna
with Child and Saints (c.1488) in the
Cappella Nerli, or Nerli Chapel
(basilicasantospirito.it; Piazza Santo
Spirito; 9:30am–12:30pm and
4pm–5:30pm; closed Wed; free).

Eating & Drinking Experiences Fold 1

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

TRATTORIA MARIO KITSCH PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO LE MURATE

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

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 99

 MINI GUIDE
Budget Florence
Essentials
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Florence Airport, also known as
Amerigo Vespucci airport, is about
3 miles from the city center. From
the airport, a bus into town costs
about $6.50, while taxi fares start
around $22. Also convenient is
Pisa International Airport, the
Tuscany region’s main international
airport. Buses connect the Pisa
airport and Florence in around
70 minutes ($4.50 one way); a
bus-and-train combo ($8.50) via
Pisa may be slightly quicker.
Florence is easily walkable
and there is also a bus network
(90-minute ticket $1.30; ataf.net).
WHERE TO STAY
Relais del Duomo stakes a
prime spot on a quiet, traffic-free
street around the corner from the
Duomo cathedral, Florence’s most
iconic landmark. This B&B’s four
elegant rooms have parquet floors
and simple decor (relaisdelduomo.it;
Piazza dell’Olio 2; from $85).
100 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
Enjoy 16th-century splendor
for less at Palazzo Guadagni
A warm welcome awaits at the
lovely Hotel Dalì. A stone’s throw
from the Duomo, it has sunny rooms
decorated in a low-key, modern way,
as well as a trio of apartments
(hoteldali.com; Via dell’Oriuolo 17;
from $100 with private bath).
The delightful Palazzo
Guadagni is housed in an artfully
revamped Renaissance palace, with
spacious, tastefully styled rooms
and a romantic loggia terrace
overlooking the square below
(palazzoguadagni.com; Piazza Santo
Spirito 9; from $125).
Eating
The Know-How
BACKSTREET FLORENCE
Discover old-world Florence by
exploring the life of Italy’s most divine
poet, Dante (below).
• Dante was born in Florence in
1265. Tragic romance was what
made him tick; there’s no better place
to unravel Dante’s story than in the
museum on the site of his family
home (museocasadidante.it).
• Dante’s muse and great love was
Beatrice Portinari, although he
claimed only to have met her twice.
There is a monument to her in the
tiny church of Santa Margherita dei
Cerchi, tucked down an alley near
Dante’s house. It may also be the
place where Dante married his
actual betrothed, Gemma Donati.
Drinking Sights Sleeping
COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM NICOLA WILLIAMS. PHOTOGRAPHS: ATLANTIDE PHOTOTRAVEL/CORBIS,
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Lonely Planet’s Pocket Florence
& Tuscany ($13.99) is ideal for
MAURIZIO RELLINI/SIME/4CORNERS, SYLVAIN SONNET/GETTY IMAGES, TETRA IMAGES/GETTY, ROSS WARNER/ALAMY
short trips. Florence & Tuscany
($24.99) provides a more
in-depth guide to the region; its
chapters are available to download
at shop.lonelyplanet.com ($4.95).
For inspiration on where to eat
and city events, check out the blog
girlinflorence.com.
 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
process generating a thick and
powerful curl. The wave, baptized
by some locals as “the cheese
Miles of junlge-fringed beaches and a number of grater,” has turned Puerto Viejo
national parks and reserves provide the perfect from a barely accessible town 30
years ago into the world-class surf
playground for rafting through the wilderness, surfing destination it is today.
epic breaks or hiking through clouds.
break and draws hordes, though it’s
so big that it never seems crowded.
Nighttime visits are by guided tour
only. By day, rent boards, sign up for
lessons and recover with a deep-
tissue massage at Frijoles Locos Surf
Shop & Spa (frijoleslocos.com; from
$50 for a 60-minute massage).

Rafting & Kayaking Hiking Fold 1

RÍO SARAPIQUÍ CORCOVADO

The Río Sarapiquí isn’t as wild as
the white water on the Río Pacuare
(see below) but the dense jungle
that hugs the riverbank is lush and
primitive. You can run the Class II–IV
rapids throughout the year; the river
fluctuates with rainfall, so if it’s been
raining, the river will be at its best. It’s
also a great place to learn how to
kayak; several operators offer
lessons (costaricaraft.com; half-day
expedition from $60).
Kayaking in the 120-square-mile
Tortuguero National Park
NATIONAL PARK
Labeled by National Geographic as
“the most biologically intense place
on Earth,” this national park is home
to scarlet macaws, Baird’s tapirs,
giant anteaters and harpy eagles.
Paths are primitive but provide a
supreme look at the wonders of the
rainforest. You’ll need a guide; Osa
Wild offers unique experiences at
affordable prices (osawildtravel.com; Monteverde Cloud Forest is home
to more than 2,500 plant species
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
most scenic rafting in all of Central
America. The river plunges down the
Caribbean slope through a series of
spectacular canyons clothed in virgin
rainforest, through runs named for
their fury and separated by calm
stretches, where you can stare at
300-foot near-vertical green walls.
Exploradores Outdoors runs rafting
trips (exploradoresoutdoors.com; $99
for a one-day expedition).
Created in 1974 to connect a series
of lagoons and meandering rivers,
the canals are an excellent
introduction to Tortuguero National
Park, the most important breeding
ground of the green sea turtle.
Kayaking through the canals will get
you up close to birds and wildlife,
including kingfishers, turtles and
caimans. Rent a canoe or a kayak in
Tortuguero village (tortuguerovillage
.com; canoes from $4).
CLOUD FOREST
There are 8 miles of marked and
maintained trails within this virginal
forest dripping with mist, sprouting
with ferns, dangling with mossy vines
and gushing with creeks. The most
popular trails make a triangle to the
east of the reserve entrance. Note:
trails can be muddy, and you should
arrive early because visitor numbers
are restricted (reservamonteverde.com;
park entry $20).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
NATIONAL PARK
The heavenly blue river, waterfalls
and lagoons here are among Costa
Rica’s most spectacular natural
phenomena, which is also why the
park is known to locals as Río Celeste
(celestial river). There’s a well-marked
trail that circles volcanoes and misty
waterfalls; it’s about 4 miles in total,
but allow three hours as some parts
are steep and rocky (visitcostarica
.com; park entry $12).

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 101

 MINI GUIDE
Activities in Costa Rica
Essentials
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Costa Rica can be reached via
frequent, direct international flights
from the United States, Canada and
Central American countries. You
can also cross a land border from
Panama or Nicaragua. There are
frequent, inexpensive buses to San
José (single $1); taxis charge around
$20. Chartering a private plane is
the quickest way to travel around the
country. Costa Rica’s airlines are
Nature Air and Sansa (return flights
from $65; natureair.com, sansacosta
rica.com). Or consider a door-to-
door private bus service, such as
Interbus (interbusonline.com).
WHERE TO STAY
Less than one-quarter mile north
of the entrance to Tortuguero
National Park, Cabinas
Tortuguero has 11 brightly painted
bungalows surrounding a neat
garden. There are hammocks for
lounging (tortuguerovillage.com;
Tortuguero; with private bath $30).
102 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
Hotel Belmar’s Sunrise room looks
over the Monteverde Cloud Forest
Hotel Banana Azul sits astride a
tranquil black-sand beach in Puerto
Viejo. The best choice is the Howler
Suite, a corner room with good
views. There’s also an onsite
bar-restaurant (bananaazul.com;
Puerto Viejo; from $99).
Every room at eco-resort Hotel
Belmar has an incredible view of the
forest, gulf or both. Rooms feature
wooden furniture, high-thread-
count linens, floor-to-ceiling
windows and large balconies.
There’s also a spa and a great
restaurant (hotelbelmar.net;
Monteverde; from $151).
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:
The Know-How
BIRDWATCHING FOR MORE INFORMATION
Costa Rica is a veritable Eden, with Lonely Planet’s Costa Rica
varied birdlife: ($24.99) is a comprehensive
Toucan – Costa Rica has six species guide to the country. San José,
of this classic rainforest bird. Huge Costa Rica’s capital, is featured
bills and vibrant plumage make the in Lonely Planet’s Guides app. See
chestnut-mandibled toucan and the Ticotimes.net for trip planning and
keel-billed toucan hard to miss. more destination information. Two
Scarlet macaw – Unmistakable for excellent contemplative books on
its size, red body and ear-splitting birds are A Naturalist in Costa Rica
squawk, it’s commonly seen in the ($24.95; University Press of Florida)
Carara National Park and the and The Minds of Birds ($29.95;
Osa Peninsula. Texas A&M University Press), both
Resplendent quetzal – The dazzling by Alexander Skutch.
quetzal once held great ceremonial
significance for the Aztecs and the
Maya. Look for its iridescent-green
body, red breast and long green tail
near Los Quetzales National Park.
Hummingbird – More than 50
hummingbird species have been
recorded in Costa Rica. Most live at
high elevations. The largest is the
violet sabrewing, with a striking
GETTY IMAGES
violet head and body and
dark-green wings.
 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
Undaunted by the weather or the work week, jamming until dawn (greenmilljazz
Chicagoans turn out en masse at night. Blues icons .com; 4802 N. Broadway; 12pm–
4am Mon–Fri, until 5am Sat, 11am–
echo in clubs, DJs spin eclectic sounds, and improv and 4am Sun; cover charge from $4).
comedy clubs unleash edgy, experimental performers.
arcade games and a jukebox, too,
and there’s a laid-back patio out
back where you can hang out when
the weather’s nice (hungrybrain
chicago.com; 2319 W. Belmont
Ave.; from 7pm–2am, closed Tue;
cover charge from $5).

Clubs Improv & Comedy Fold 1

LATE BAR COMEDYSPORTZ

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

SMART BAR DEBONAIR SOCIAL CLUB IO THEATER SECOND CITY

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

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 103

 MINI GUIDE
Nightlife in Chicago
Essentials
GETTING THERE & AROUND
O’Hare International Airport is
one of the world’s busiest airports,
handling international and domestic
flights. Chicago Midway Airport, a
bit closer to the Loop (central
business district), handles domestic
services plus some Canada and
Mexico flights. Both airports have
easy “L” train links into the city. You
can also use a shared shuttle van
service such as Airport Express
(about $25 to Loop hotels;
airportexpress.com). Taxis cost
around $32. Ventra tickets are ideal
for visitors; a day pass costs $10
(transitchicago.com).
WHERE TO STAY
The Days Inn in the Lincoln Park
area has perks such as free Wi-Fi,
health club access and hot waffle
breakfasts. Avoid the standard
doubles if you’re claustrophobic;
kings are significantly roomier
(daysinnchicago.net; 644 W.
Diversey Parkway; from $103).
104 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
Art’otel’s lobby is a swanky refuge
with a library for guests
Housed in the landmark 1890s
Reliance Building in downtown
Chicago, the superslick Kimpton
Burnham Hotel has rooms
furnished with mahogany desks and
chaise longues. Some suites offer
views of Lake Michigan and
Millennium Park (burnhamhotel.com;
1 W. Washington St.; from $189).
One of Chicago’s newest luxury
hotels, the Waldorf Astoria
Chicago models itself on the style of
’20s Parisian glamour. The rooms
are large and very well appointed
(waldorfastoria3.hilton.com; 11 E.
Walton St.; from $276).
Entertainment Sleeping
The Know-How
Chess Records FOR MORE INFORMATION
– The original See Lonely Planet’s Guides app,
home of the featuring offline maps and must-
blues in see sights in Chicago and dozens
Chicago, Chess of other cities worldwide. Lonely
Records helped Planet’s Chicago ($21.99) is a
COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM KARLA ZIMMERMAN. PHOTOGRAPHS:
launch the careers of Muddy comprehensive guide to the city;
Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, and chapters can be downloaded at
served as a catalyst for early shop.lonelyplanet.com ($4.95).
WALTER BIBIKOW/SUPERSTOCK, MARTIN BOND/ALAMY, KRIS DAVIDSON, DAN WELDON
sessions by Chuck Berry. The Chicagoist covers the city in all
Bloodshot Records – This its quirky glory (chicagoist.com).
independent label focusing on
roots-based indie rock, alternative
country and punk, has been home
to the likes of Ryan Adams, Neko
Case and Robbie Fulks
(bloodshotrecords.com).
Delmark Records – America’s oldest
independent jazz/blues label,
Delmark has produced artists such
as Junior Wells, Otis Rush and Dinah
Washington (delmark.com).
Thrill Jockey – Made famous by
“postrock” bands of the ’90s, Thrill
Jockey has consistently released
music spanning a variety of genres
(thrilljockey.com).
 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
The art scene in England’s capital is as eclectic as the 20:50 is on permanent display.
city itself. It’s possible to flit between Renaissance There’s an interesting shop on
the first floor (saatchigallery.com;
masterpieces and contemporary international stars King’s Road; free).
all within a few gallery steps.
never built in the U.K. to erect a new
“Summer Pavilion” nearby, open
from June to October. The galleries,
meanwhile, run a program of
readings, talks and open-air cinema
screenings (serpentinegalleries.org;
closed Mon; free).

19th & 20th Century Old Masters Fold 1

TATE BRITAIN VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM

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

COURTAULD GALLERY NATIONAL NATIONAL GALLERY SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM

Tear out page here then fold along dotted lines

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

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 105

 MINI GUIDE
Art in London
Essentials
GETTING THERE & AROUND
London has five airports: Heathrow,
which is the largest, to the west;
Gatwick to the south; Stansted to
the northeast; Luton to the
northwest; and London City in the
east/southeast. Most transatlantic
flights land at Heathrow (the
average flight time is 7 hours from
the East Coast, 10½ hours from the
West Coast). The airports are well
served by train and bus, and
Heathrow has its own tube
(underground railway) station.
Public transportation is expensive
but comprehensive; buy an Oyster
card for cheaper fares (zone 1 single
from $3; tfl.gov.uk).
WHERE TO STAY
Rooms in the stylish Citizen M
have super-king-size beds and
bright decor. There is a self-service
restaurant, and the bar/lounge is a
clever blend of designer and homey
style (citizenm.com/london-bankside;
20 Lavington St.; from $145).
106 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
A room in the two-bedroom Soho
Suite at the Soho Hotel
In West London’s wealthy
Belgravia disctrict, Lime Tree Hotel
is a family-run B&B in a Georgian
townhouse exuding understated
elegance and championing British
design. It has a lovely garden, where
you can catch the afternoon sun
(limetreehotel.co.uk; 135–137 Ebury
St; from $230).
Every bedroom is put together like
a work of art at the hip Soho Hotel.
The location is perfect, close to the
West End’s shops, restaurants,
theaters and big-hitting galleries
(sohohotel.com; 4 Richmond Mews;
from $347).
The Know-How
BEST GALLERY EATING
• National Dining Rooms. Oliver
Peyton’s restaurant at the National
Gallery features seasonal regional
specialties (below), as well as
an extensive selection of British
cheeses for a light lunch
(peytonandbyrne.co.uk; Sainsbury
Wing; lunch from $8.50).
• Portrait. This restaurant above the
National Portrait Gallery overlooks
Trafalgar Square and Westminster.
The brunch and afternoon tea are
highly recommended (npg.org.uk;
afternoon tea $36).
• Wallace. This brasserie is idyllically
placed in the courtyard of the
Wallace Collection. The emphasis is
on seasonal French-inspired dishes,
or you can partake in the English
tradition of afternoon tea
(wallacecollection.org; Manchester
Square; afternoon tea $25).
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
FOR MORE INFORMATION
London is among dozens of cities
featured in Lonely Planet’s Guides
app, which is packed with tips and
advice from on-the-ground experts.
Lonely Planet’s London ($21.99) is
a comprehensive guide to visiting
the city; individual chapters can be
downloaded at shop.lonelyplanet
.com ($4.95). For short breaks,
there’s Pocket London ($13.99).
Check out artmonthly.co.uk for
listings of London gallery previews,
events and closing exhibitions.
 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
Georgia’s capital – aka the capital of the South – has home where King was born and
fascinating history, big-ticket museums and attractions, lived the first 12 years of his life
(nps.gov/malu; 450 Auburn Ave.
and restaurants serving smokin’ ribs and craft cocktails. NE; 9am–5pm; free).
Spend a weekend – or longer – exploring the city.
his death in 1968; his funeral was
held in the church. A multimillion-
dollar restoration, completed in
2011, restored the church to its
1960s appearance (nps.gov/malu;
407 Auburn Ave. NE; tours 9am–
5pm Mon–Sat, 1pm–5pm Sun; free).

Museums & Galleries Dining Fold 1

WORLD OF COCA-COLA DADDY D’Z

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

HIGH MUSEUM OF ART CARTER PRESIDENTIAL WEST EGG CAFÉ LEON’S FULL SERVICE
Tear out page here then fold along dotted lines

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

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 107

 MINI GUIDE
Atlanta Weekend
Essentials
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Atlanta’s huge Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta International Airport,
about 10 miles south of downtown,
is a major regional hub (it’s the main
hub for Delta) and an international
gateway. The Metropolitan Atlanta
Rapid Transit Authority (better
known as MARTA) rail line links the
airport with downtown, along with
commuter routes around town. Buy
a Breeze card ($2 for the card, then
$2.50 one-way fare or $9 one-day
pass; itsmarta.com), which can be
loaded and reloaded as necessary.
You can rent a car at the airport,
although driving through Atlanta
can be frustratingly slow.
WHERE TO STAY
The 1927 Highland Inn, a
European-style hotel, has a great
location in the Poncey-Highland
area, 2 miles from downtown. It has
its own music venue, the Ballroom
Lounge (thehighlandinn.com; 644
N. Highland Ave.; from $112).
108 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
The Artmore Hotel is minutes
from the High Museum of Art
A 1924 Spanish-Mediterranean-
style landmark was revamped in
2009, resulting in the artistic
boutique Artmore Hotel. Expect
excellent service, a courtyard with
fire pit – an ideal spot for a glass of
wine – and a superb location
(artmorehotel.com; 1302 W.
Peachtree St.; from $159).
In the heart of the arts in
Midtown, near Piedmont Park,
Loews Atlanta Hotel is a new,
smart boutique place. Relax in the
Exhale Spa and enjoy the hotel’s
contemporary art (loewshotels.com;
1065 Peachtree St. NE; from $199).
Eating Sights Sleeping
The Know-How
COMPILED BY NATALIE MILLMAN, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM AMY C BALFOUR. PHOTOGRAPHS: STEVE KELLEY/GETTY IMAGES,
MLK FACTS FOR MORE INFORMATION
• King was born in 1929, the son of Lonely Planet’s Eastern USA
an Atlanta preacher and a choir ($24.99) has a chapter on the
leader. He followed his father to the South that includes Georgia,
SJEFF HERR PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF THE ARTMORE HOTEL, STEPHEN F SOMERSTEIN/GETTY IMAGES
pulpit and his political speeches rang which is also available to
out with a preacher’s inflections. download at shop.lonelyplanet.com
• In 1955, King led the yearlong bus ($4.95). For a schedule of events
boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, see atlantaperforms.com and
which resulted in the U.S. Supreme atlantamusicguide.com.
Court removing laws that enforced
segregated buses.
• In 1963 he gave the legendary
“I Have a Dream” speech in
Washington, D.C., and the following
year he received the Nobel Peace
Prize for civil rights and social justice.
For more than 10 years he led the
movement to end a system
of statutory discrimination.
 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
Indomitable mountains provide a backdrop for vast wine (Mon–Fri) and there’s a play area
estates in South Africa’s Winelands. There are more than for kids (hartenbergestate.com;
M23, Bottelary Road; tastings
200 historic vineyard estates to tour, and they’re all about $1.80).
within a day’s drive of Cape Town.
of prey displays, browsing the
Saturday farmers’ market and
taking a Segway vineyard tour. In
summer, the Spier Winelands
Express train runs here from Cape
Town (spier.co.za; R310, off
Annandale Road; tastings from $3).

Around Franschhoek Around Paarl Valley Fold 1

GRAND PROVENCE SPICE ROUTE

At the heart of this winery is a
revamped, 18th-century manor,
home to a stylish restaurant and a
gallery of contemporary South
African art. There is a range of
tasting options, including grape
juice tasting for kids, plus charming
accommodations. Franschhoek, the
Cape’s food and wine capital, is a
five-minute drive (grandeprovence
.co.za; R45, Main Road; tastings
from $1.80, cellar tours $2.20).
A table set for lunch in the shade
at La Motte wine estate
Resembling more of a village than
a single wine estate, Spice Route is
known for its complex red wines,
particularly the flagship shiraz. It
has a lot else going on, such as
glass-blowing demonstrations, an
artists’ studio and gallery, a craft
beer bar, a chocolatier and two
restaurants. The estate has views
over the Simonsberg mountain range
(spiceroute.co.za; Suider Agter Paarl Decanting a fine bottle of red at
the Spice Route winery
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
tasters at Leopard’s Leap, where the
bright, modern, barnlike tasting
room has comfy sofas strewn around
and the lawns have a jungle gym for
kids. The owners are passionate
about the conservation of the area’s
Cape Mountain leopard, and their
work with a local trust is outlined
through displays on the estate
(leopardsleap.co.za; R45, Main
Road; tastings from $1.80).
This sprawling estate just west of
Franschhoek has lots to keep visitors
entertained, including a 3-mile
circular hiking trail and a history
walk. La Motte’s shiraz is superb and
its Pierneef à la Motte restaurant
dabbles in wine-pairing lunches
and dinners. A collection of works
by South African artist Jacob
Hendrik Pierneef is on show
(la-motte.com; R45, Main Road;
closed Sun; tastings from $3.65).
Glen Carlou is a relatively young
upstart compared with many other
Wineland estates, but the wines are
award-winning. The tasting room
has a panoramic view of Tortoise
Hill and Paarl Valley, and there’s a
contemporary art gallery and a wild
garden full of indigenous flora. The
estate is renowned for its Bordeaux
blend and sumptuous chardonnay
(glencarlou.co.za; Simondium Road,
Klapmuts; tastings from $1.80).
TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS
The bonus with KWV Emporium is
that it’s just a short walk from Paarl’s
train station, so no restraint is needed
at the tasting table. The estate has
won awards for its fortified wines and
innovative tasting pairings, including
brandy and fudge, and a combo that
matches wines with biltong (dried,
cured meat) and nuts. For teetotalers,
there’s a tea and chocolate pairing
(kwvwineemporium.co.za; Kohler
Street; tastings from $3.65).

Winter 2016 / LONELY PLANET 109

 MINI GUIDE
South Africa’s Winelands
Essentials
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Cape Town is the gateway city for
forays into South Africa’s Western
Cape Winelands. Buses run from
the airport into Cape Town every
half hour (about $4.50 single).
Frequent trains run from Cape
Town to Stellenbosch in around an
hour and to Paarl in 75 minutes
(metrorail.co.za; $1 single). The Baz
Bus tourist bus runs from Cape
Town to Stellenbosch (bazbus.com;
$20). You’ll need to take a taxi from
Stellenbosch to Franschhoek, or
rent a car at the airport (from $13
per day; avis.com).
WHERE TO STAY
With its elegant Georgian and
Victorian architecture, the university
town of Stellenbosch is a good base
for wine touring. Summerwood
Guest House, built in 1904, is a
stately mansion by a nature reserve,
with bright rooms and a pool
(summerwood.co.za; 28 Jonkershoek
Rd.; from $57).
110 LONELY PLANET / Winter 2016
Chamonix is situated high above
the fertile Franschhoek valley
Chamonix is a wine estate in
Franschhoek with a Cape Dutch-
style lodge, luxurious “bush” forest
suites and guesthouses. There’s
also a private wildlife reserve where
guests might spy zebra, ostrich,
eland and springbok (chamonix
.co.za; from $67).
Grand Roche Hotel is a divine
Cape Dutch manor house in the
shadow of Paarl Rock. Historic
outbuildings have been transformed
into more than 30 luxurious suites.
There’s an award-winning
restaurant, too (granderoche.com;
Plantasie Street; from $186).
Drinking Sleeping
The Know-How
ADMIRING THE VINES FOR MORE INFORMATION
• If you don’t want to drive, and a Lonely Planet’s Cape Town & the
tour group doesn’t appeal, try the Garden Route ($21.99) covers the
Vine Hopper, a hop-on, hop-off Winelands; the “Day Trips &
service that visits 12 wineries in Wineries” chapter can be down-
Stellenbosch (vinehopper.co.za; loaded at shop.lonelyplanet.com
$13 per day). ($4.95). Cape Town is among the
• Bike ’n Wines Tour is a highly cities included in Lonely Planet’s
recommended carbon-negative Guides app, featuring maps,
company that organizes short cycle must-see sights and more. Platter’s
rides taking in a handful of South African Wines is the top
COMPILED BY NATALIE PARKES, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM LUCY CORNE
Stellenbosch or Franschhoek annual guidebook to the nation’s
wineries (bikesnwines.com; tours wines, with tasting notes and
from $41). ratings (wineonaplatter.com).
• The Franschhoek Wine Tram
(pictured) is a fun alternative to the
usual tour and uses a tram and
open-sided bus. There are four
routes to choose from (winetram
.co.za; from $15).
• For an unforgettable experience,
take a hot-air balloon trip over the
Winelands, departing from Paarl
with Wineland Ballooning (kapinfo
.com; $190).
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
Angeles all over again, from the leafy hamlet of Mount Washington
to the faded glory of downtown’s art deco movie palaces. For the
best taste of LA, track down the Kogi taco truck for a truly Angeleno
invention of Korean barbecue, kimchi and traditional tacos al pastor.
My husband and I are forever fixing up our tiny pink 1952 homestead
cabin up on the mesa northwest of Joshua Tree, California. The house
is too small for parties, so we usually congregate outside around the
bonfire or head to local honky-tonk Pappy & Harriet’s for margaritas
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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