May
May
Hike Tiger Leaping Gorge, China
Why now? For hillsides afire with plants and flowers.
After making its first turn at Shigu, the mighty Yangzi River surges through Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the world. The entire gorge measures 16km in length, and it’s a giddy 3900m from the floor of the gorge to the mountain tops above. There are two trails through the gorge - the higher route is older and is known as the 24-bend path (although it’s more like 30), while the lower route is a new road replete with belching tour buses. Needless to say, only the high trail is really worth hiking. The town of Lijiang, 160km north of the provincial capital, Dali, is the best base for the hike.
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Horse Ride in Andalucia, Spain
Why now? To be in Jerez for Feria del Caballo
Andalucía is steeped in equestrian tradition. The horse has been part of rural life for time immemorial and Andalucía is the chief breeding ground of the elegant and internationally esteemed Spanish thoroughbred horse, also known as the Cartujano or Andalusian. Countless good riding tracks crisscross its marvellous landscapes, and an ever-growing number of picaderos (stables) are ready to take you on a guided ride, be it for an hour or a week. Many of the mounts are Andalusians or Andalusian-Arab crosses - medium-sized, intelligent, good in traffic and, as a rule, easy to handle and sure-footed. The provinces of Sevilla and Cádiz have perhaps the highest horse populations and concentrations of stables, but there are riding opportunities throughout the region. Among the many highlight experiences, standouts are trail rides in the Alpujarras and Sierra Nevada, and beach and dune riding just out of Tarifa. To get into the equine spirit you should time your visit to overlap with the Feria del Caballo (Horse Fair) in Andalucía’s horse capital, Jerez de la Frontera. One of Andalucía’s biggest festivals, Feria del Caballo features music, dance, bullfights and all kinds of horse competitions. Colourful parades of horses pass through the Parque González Hontoria fairgrounds in the town’s north, the aristocratic-looking male riders decked out in flat-topped hats, frilly white shirts, black trousers and leather chaps, their female crupera (sideways pillion) partners in long, frilly, spotted dresses. It makes a tremendous end or beginning to a few days of riding through the baked Andalucían mountains. The website www.andalucia.org has a directory of over 100 stables and other equestrian establishments.
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Sail the Bermuda Triangle, Bermuda
Why now? A time of smooth seas, barring the paranormal.
Throw caution to the Atlantic Ocean wind and tack into the Bermuda Triangle, the name given to a notorious section of the Atlantic that’s bound by Bermuda to the north, Florida to the west and Puerto Rico to the south. It’s thought that as many as 100 ships and planes have vanished in the triangle, with mysterious disappearances dating back to the mid-19th century. Many of the vessels have gone down without so much as emitting a distress signal, and with no subsequent trace of the craft ever appearing. In other cases, ships have reappeared intact months after disappearing, but with no trace of the crew ever found. If you’re still game, you can rent a sailboat at several places in Bermuda, or you can set sail from various points in Florida.
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Surf at Bells Beach, Australia
Why now? The most reliable time for Bells’ waves.
For a beach with such enormous raps, Bells is surprisingly small, snuggled into the cliffs that line Australia’s most famously scenic road, the Great Ocean Rd. But almost nobody comes here for the beach; Bells is all about waves. The powerful right-hand point break - the wave, not the movie - at Bells is a thing of surfing legend, especially when a 4m southwest swell is motoring in from the Southern Ocean. If you don’t know your board from your Bells, you can always build up to this point break by taking lessons at nearby Torquay or Anglesea, or you can just wander through Surfworld, the world’s largest surfing museum, in Torquay.
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Visit Rio’s Favelas, Brazil
Why now? The best time to visit Rio is between May and August, when it’s cooled by balmy trade winds and the average temperature hovers around 30°C.
Rio de Janeiro’s first favela (slum), Morro da Providência, was founded more than 100 years ago. Today, Rocinha is indisputably the largest favela, with over 127,000 inhabitants. Once one of the most dangerous parts of the city, Rocinha has mellowed considerably in the last decade (though it’s forbidden for residents to talk to the few police that can be found here in two tiny stations; problems are resolved within the community). In many ways Rocinha is a normal, safe and welcoming place, a reality underlined by the increasing number of tourists making the pilgrimage to the Estrada de Gávea to photograph stunning views of Corcovado Mountain and to glimpse the other side of Rio life. To see the reality behind the stereotypes, you can take one of several tours into Rocinha, including a walking tour led by the president of Rocinha’s resident association. www.favelatour.com.br
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Albania
Why now? May is about the best time to visit Albania. You can sightsee in the mild sunshine, and enjoy the blossoming cherry and almond trees.
Once the world’s only officially atheist state, and the final communist domino to fall in Eastern Europe, Albnia has never quite shrugged off the bad raps. For many people it’s indelibly associated with its former isolation, peppered with stories of crime and poverty. The upside of these preconceptions is that travel in this Balkan country remains the monopoly of the adventurous. In reality, visitors will find a warm and hospitable country with stunning mountain landscapes and sandy and pebbly beaches that stretch all the way along its coast. Traditional villages perch on the misty mountains that cover more than 75% of the country. In Berat, families still inhabit the hill-top castle guarding the sun-bleached houses in the town below, while Apollonia and Butrint fascinate with classical ruins in rural settings you won’t want to leave. Much of the adventure comes simply with being in Albania. In the capital, Tirana, you’ll still find potholes in the road up to 1m deep. At Butrint you can visit some of the Mediterranean’s most evocative Greek and Roman ruins, yet there’s not so much a food or souvenir stand. Opportunities to wander through the mountains are few. There are no hiking maps of the national parks, nor are there generally any hotels or camping grounds, and the highest peak, Mt Korab (2751m), is far from any of the general travelling routes. About the only place you’ll find any mountainstyle accommodation is at Llogaraja Pass in the south of the country, among some of Albania’s most spectacular scenery. Here, you’ll find the lamely named Tourist Village, with wooden chalets, fresh food and pure spring water. From here, you can go for shorter hikes through thick forests where deer, wild boar and wolves roam. The most popular outdoors excursion in Albania is to Mt Dajti (1610m), 25km west of Tirana. It’s the most accessible mountain in the country and a weekend escape for many Tiranans. The hiking is gentle but you’ll find lovely, shady beech and pine forests.
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Cycle in Denmark
Why now? Roll into summer in the flattest kind of way.
Denmark is a superb country for cycling, with relatively quiet roads and an attractively undulating landscape. Here, cyclists enjoy rights that, in most countries, are reserved for motorists. There are bike lanes along major city roads, road signs are posted for bicycle traffic, and drivers are so accommodating that riding is an almost surreal experience. There are 10 major bike routes in Denmark, all in immaculate condition. In addition to the ‘top 10’, each county has an extensive network of bike routes that enables you to explore every inch of the country. One classic ride, combining both national and local bike routes and taking in six islands, involves a loop of the Zealand Islands, using three of the 10 national bike routes and taking between 10 days and three weeks. It begins by taking Route 9 south out of Copenhagen and along Zealand’s east coast, passing through the historic port town of Køge, the yacht-infested Præstø and the medieval stronghold of Vordingborg. When you reach the southern tip, cross the bridge to Falster and ride around the northwest of the island before crossing another bridge to the pastorally rich island of Lolland. Once on Lolland, take in the towns of Skaskøbing and Maribo before switching onto Route 8 and heading west through Nakskov to the ferry terminal at Tårs. Sail to Spodsbjerg and cut a quick lap of the island or make a beeline for Tåsinge and the island of Funen. On arrival at Funen head north, hugging the east coast, to the town of Nyborg, passing through a number of pretty villages and gently rolling hills. Leave Funen at Nyborg, crossing back to Zealand at Korsor. From here it’s a couple of days riding on Route 6 back to the capital. For route maps see www.trafikken.dk
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Hike the Inca Trail, Peru
Why now? The vegetation is beautifully green and the June crowds have yet to arrive.
Run a straw poll across the globe and the Inca Trail would almost certainly win as the world’s best-known hiking trail. South America’s most fabled adventure attracts so many trekkers that the government has heavily regulated it in recent years - now you can only walk the trail with a guide or tour. The famous El Camino Inca is not the only Inca trail to the archaeological site of Machu Picchu, but it is the only one that winds its way past three major Inca sites in good repair. Any one of Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca or Huiñay Huayna would be considered a great day trip out of Cusco if they were easily accessible by road, but none can be reached without hiking all or part of the Inca Trail. The trail is only 38km long but has steep ascents, especially to Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman’s Pass), followed by swooping descents into the cloudforests bordering the Amazon Basin. The elevation ranges from under 2000m at Aguas Calientes (the trail’s end) to 4198m at Warmiwañusca, and so vegetation varies from montane rainforest, cloudforest and high-altitude quenua woodlands to bare puna grasslands. The lower reaches are a riot of different flower species, and the bird life is varied and prolific. Curiously, the trail’s end goal - Machu Picchu - is both the best known and the least known of the major Inca sites. It is not mentioned in the chronicles of the Spanish conquistadors, and archaeologists today can only speculate on its function. It is mysterious, beautifully located, extensive and expertly built, and despite its remoteness, it attracts many thousands of visitors. Savvy trekkers know to time their visit to Machu Picchu for the early morning and late afternoon, when it is relatively empty.
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Snorkel the Sardine Run, South Africa
Why now? To observe a seasonal ocean wonder.
Between late May and early July millions upon millions of sardines gather along South Africa’s east coast between Port St Johns and Durban. From their spawning grounds off Cape Agulhas, the sardines have threaded a 1600km path, riding a countercurrent north along the coast. In turn, each and every predator in the oceanic food chain follows this moving feast. Dolphins, sharks, seabirds, game fish and even orcas all join the fracas. Visitors who witness the feeding frenzy will long remember the adrenaline rush as huge whales breach meters away from the boat and dolphin pods ride the bow-wave. Snorkellers score ringside views of the spectacular action, though diving should not be attempted amid the sardine shoals, as hungry predators could pose a risk to sport divers.
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