October
October
Bhutan
Why now? The snowman trek can only be attempted between late September and mid-October.
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is not an ordinary place. It has one foot in the past and one in the future. Its farsighted leaders recognise the necessity of being part of the modern world, but they realise that once their forests and culture are destroyed, they can never be recovered. They have maintained their traditional culture, yet they have adapted what they need from modern technology. You’ll find monks transcribing ancient Buddhist texts onto computers and traditionally dressed archers using the most high-tech bows and arrows. Bhutan is a country of rolling hills and towering crags, with only small patches of cultivation and very little deforestation. It’s often compared to Switzerland, not only because they’re similar in size, but also because many parts of Bhutan look like the Swiss Alps, with green hills, chalet-like houses and snow peaks sticking out of nowhere. Virtually the entire country is mountainous, and to see the best of Bhutan you should spend a week or more on foot, trekking through the great forested wilderness that covers most of the country. There are 13 officially permitted trekking routes in Bhutan, including what’s sometimes described as the world’s most difficult trek. Fewer than half the people who attempt the Snowman Trek actually finish it, either because of problems with altitude (you climb to passes above 5300m) or heavy snowfall on the high passes. Its season is short - late September to mid-October - and its commitment is long, covering around 25 days in country so remote that if you find the passes blocked by snow, the only way out is by helicopter. Bhutan’s most popular route, walked by around 40% of trekkers to the country, is the nine-day Jhomolari Trek I, taking you to a high camp at Jangothang (4080m) for spectacular views of 7314m Jhomolhari. The trek is possible from April to early June and September to November, but the best chance of favourable conditions is in October or April.
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Sail The Whitsunday Islands, Australia
Why now? Warm weather, cool seas and helpful winds.
A chain of 90-plus islands - all but four of which are protected in at least some part as a national park - the Whitsundays epitomise tropical Queensland. Stiff breezes and fast-flowing tides can produce tricky conditions for small craft, yet with a little care the islands offer superb sailing, and bareboat charters have become enormously popular. Superseded racing maxis and antique tall ships vie for a place among the islands, and it doesn’t matter if you can’t remember the last time you spliced a mainbrace, or if you have sailed into too many ports to recall, there’ll be a boat to suit. Most companies have a minimum hire period of five days. There’s also a bamboozling array of sailing tours that supply professional crew and catering - just about every second store in Airlie Beach is an ‘information centre’ willing to set your dollars sailing. www.whitsundaytourism.com
Why not check out the Thorn Tree forum at lonelyplanet.com to find out more?
Vietnam
Why now? October offers one of the best balances between heat and cold, dry and wet.
Vietnam is a place of coast and mountains - there’s 3451km of the former and 75% of the country is covered by the latter. Karst formations have been shaped into striking landscapes, with mountain tops sticking out of the sea like bony fingers. It sounds custom-made for exploration and adventure, though Vietnam is only just beginning to realise its potential. Cyclists have been among the first to add Vietnam to their wish-list. The Mekong Delta is cycling heaven, with barely a bump in its silted surface. The entire coastal route along Hwy 1 is an alluring and popular achievement, though the insane traffic makes it tough and dangerous. Better is the new inland trunk road, Hwy 14, which offers stunning scenery and little traffic. Halong Bay is undoubtedly Vietnam’s natural wonder. Picture 3000 incredible islands rising from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin and you have a vision of greatness - it’s been likened to Guilin and Krabi. Paddling among the karsts is an activity that has taken off in recent years and Halong Bay is now following hard behind Krabi as Southeast Asia’s kayaking capital. Climbers are yet to really stamp their chalk on the bay, though it’s only a matter of time before the word gets out. Ninh Binh and Phong Nha could also offer some climbing competition. The most popular diving area in Vietnam is Nha Trang, where there are around 25 dive sites, both shallow and deep. There are no wrecks, but some sites have good drop-offs and there are a few small underwater caves to explore. The waters support a good variety of soft and hard corals, and a reasonable number of small reef fish. Surfing is also a new arrival on the Vietnamese scene - Mui Ne Beach is among the best spots, while experienced surfers head for China Beach in Danang. Picking a best time to begin a Vietnamese adventure is a tough call, with monsoons hitting different parts of the country at different times. October offers one of the best balances between heat and cold, dry and wet.
Why not check out the Thorn Tree forum at lonelyplanet.com to find out more?
Kayak The Yasawa Islands, Fiji
Why now? The Fijian winter is warming up, while the cyclone season is still a few weeks away.
After the famous mutiny on the Bounty in 1789, Captain William Bligh paddled through Fiji’s Yasawa Islands on his way to Timor. Given that he was being chased by Fijian canoes, he may not have enjoyed the experience as much as you will along this 90km-long chain of 20 ancient volcanic islands off the northwest corner of Viti Levu. Famed for lovely white-sand beaches, crystal-blue lagoons and rugged volcanic landscapes, the group forms a roughly straight line within the Great Sea Reef. Islands are no more than 10km apart, making for short paddles between landfalls. You’ll find the best paddling along the western side of the islands, where you’ll be sheltered from the prevailing southeast winds.
Why not check out the Thorn Tree forum at lonelyplanet.com to find out more?
Wadi Rum, Jordan
Why now? Blazing in summer, and with cold winds howling down from Central Asia in winter, now is the time to discover this desert.
Made famous by the presence of the Arab Revolt and TE Lawrence in the early 20th century, Wadi Rum offers some of the most extraordinary desert scenery you’ll ever see. Its myriad moods and dramatic colours, dictated by the changing angle of the sun, make for a memorable scene, but it’s a place to be experienced as much as it is to be seen. Blazing in summer, and with cold winds howling down from Central Asia in winter, now is the time to discover this desert. Wadi Rum is a series of valleys about 2km wide, stretching north to south for about 130km. Among the valleys is a desert landscape of sand and rocks, punctuated by towering jebels (hills) that have eroded into soft sandstone over a period of up to 50 million years. These jebels offer some challenging rock climbing, equal to anything in Europe. While climbing is still a nascent industry in Wadi Rum, and you’ll need to bring your own gear, the situation has improved in recent years. There are at least six accredited climbing guides, most of whom have been trained in the UK. One of the more popular climbs for amateur climbers is up Jebel Rum (1754m), Jordan’s highest peak. Minimal gear is needed and it’s close to the Rest House in Rum village, although a guide is still required to find the best route and to help with the climb. There are also a number of sites north of the road to Diseh. Excursions into the desert can be made by camel or 4WD. If you have the time, travelling around Wadi Rum by camel is highly recommended, enabling you to experience the desert as the Bedouin people have for centuries and to really appreciate the silent gravitas of the desert. You can ride out and back from Rum village, cross to the famed archaeological site at Petra (about five nights), or follow in Lawrence of Arabia’s camel prints to Aqaba on the Red Sea coast (three to six nights).
Why not check out the Thorn Tree forum at lonelyplanet.com to find out more?
Cave in the Karst Region, Slovenia
Why now? Slip into the caves between the summer crowds and the winter chill.
For cavers, there are few words sexier than ‘karst’ (limestone weathered into caves and fissures), which makes the eponymous Karst region in Slovenia a hot date for those who like the underworld. Thick layers of limestone deposits were laid down here millions of years ago. Earth movements then raised the limestone above sea level, where it was eroded by mildly acidic rainwater. Over hundreds of thousands of years, this slow, chemical erosion has produced limestone pavements, dry valleys, sinkholes, springs and, most notably, vast subterranean networks of caves and tunnels. Foremost in the Karst region are the 5.8km long, 250m deep World Heritage-listed Škocjan Caves, carved out by the Reka River. The first section of the caves, called Paradise, is filled with beautiful stalactites, stalagmites and flow stones; the second part (called Calvary) was once the river bed. The Silent Cave ends at the Great Hall (Velika Dvorana), 120m wide and 30m high and a jungle of exotic dripstones and deposits. The sound of the Reka River rushing through cascades and whirlpools below heralds your entry into the astonishing Müller Hall, with walls 100m high. To get over the Reka and into long, narrow Svetina Hall you must cross narrow Hanke Canal Bridge, 45m high and the highlight of the trip. Most visitors continue to Bowls Hall, remarkable for its rare bowl-like potholes; past Tominc Cave, where finds from a prehistoric settlement have been unearthed; and over a walkway near the Natural Bridge to a funicular, which carries you 90m up the rock face to near the reception area. Experienced spelunkers, however, can explore the 5km of caves and halls that extend to the northwest of Hanke Canal Bridge, ending at Dead Lake. www.park-skocjanske-jame.si
Why not check out the Thorn Tree forum at lonelyplanet.com to find out more?
Sandboard at Swakopmund, Namibia
Why now? One of the coolest times of the year in the Central Namib Desert.
In the Central Namib Desert, Namibia’s most popular holiday resort aspires to be an adventure centre (albeit dry) to rival Victoria Falls. Among such offerings as quadbiking and parachuting, sandboarding stands out as the town’s signature activity. Hire a board and climb the high dunes around town, laying down or, if you’re proficient at skiing or snowboarding, standing up to schuss down a 120m-high dune at speeds reaching 80km/ h. Hire of a sandboard comes with gloves, goggles, transport to the dunes and enough sandboard polish to ensure a run as slippery as marbles. Now all you have to do is slog your way back to the top of the dunes.
Why not check out the Thorn Treeforum at lonelyplanet.com to find out more?
Balloon at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Why now? Witness the wildebeests’ Serengeti return from the air.
A memorable way to observe wildlife in the Serengeti is from the air as you sail above the plains in a balloon. At the whim of the airstream and accompanied by bursts of flame, you drift over the park whose name translates as ‘endless plains’. From the air you can spot otherwise invisible hyena dens, tracks crisscross the plains like some gigantic web, and groups of zebras, wildebeests, hartebeests and gazelles are visible for kilometres. The ride ends wherever the wind has blown you, and your champagne breakfast (complete with linen tablecloths) may be accompanied by whichever animals happen to be nearby. It’s not a cheap morning out - US$449 at the time of writing - but it’s the only way you’ll ever look down on a giraffe. www.balloonsafaris.com
Why not check out the Thorn Tree forum at lonelyplanet.com to find out more?