A TIMES OF INDIA PUBLICATION

INDIA

Rs 150

INDIAAPRIL 2019

FIND YOUR PERFECT WAY OF EMBRACING NATURE

INDONESIA l ASSAM l DENMARK l FRANCE l CANADA

GREATOutdoorsThe

DISCOVER A LAND RIPE FOR ADVENTURE IN

PATAGONIAWALK WITH

THE EMPERORS IN

JAPANON LAND, IN THE WATER –TAKE ON NATURE ACROSS

INDIA084-Cover_April 2019 final-STAN.indd 1 3/18/19 3:42 PM

In this issue...VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3 | APRIL 2019

EXPLOREYour world of new discoveries 10 Weekend planner: Venture beyond

the ghats in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, step over the India-Myanmar border in Moreh, Manipur, and other ways to make the most of your weekends

16 The secret history of the Vespa18 News, views and more wonderful

ways to discover our planet

JOURNALTales from the road 24 The enigmatic Bear Grylls reveals

his tastes and inspirations as a famed adventurer in this Q&A

28 The animals of Assam’s national parks, in photos

32 The majestic Chand Baori in Rajasthan, and other snapshots from you

36 Instagram photo challenge: Contrast38 Our staff talks about their food

adventures – some delicious, some not so much

40 Our readers’ food fiestas

MINI GUIDES Themed guides to pull out and take with you126 Explore the dynamic food scene

in Copenhagen, Denmark128 See and experience the very

best of Goa, India 130 Take on the great outdoors

on the Isle of Skye, Scotland

FOLLOW US ONLonely Planet Magazine India

@LPMagIn

@lonelyplanetmagazineindia

Patagonia, pg 48

Introducing our new front sections

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JOURNAL: ANYTHING TO DECLARE

Author of The Nine Chambered Heart, Seahorse and Boats on Land, Janice Pariat discusses her multicultural background, literary landscapes, and what it was like growing up in the Northeast of India

Literary Explorer

I’m a bit of an ethnic mongrel. My ancestors come from a lot of places – I’m a child of colonialism, really. On my mother’s side, you’ll find ancestors who can be traced back to Portugal, and, on the other side, I have great grandparents who were British and stayed on in Shillong and married locals. I grew up in Shillong and in pockets of Assam. My father worked in the tea industry, so we kept moving from estate to estate. I loved the idyllic Enid Blyton-esque childhood that I had both in Assam and Shillong. I think what marked my childhood in the Northeast was the wonderful isolation, where I had all the time in the world to read, to be outdoors, to build my own little worlds because there wasn’t really much else to do. These were the wilds of Assam in the 1990s, where there was no television and no Internet. I’m looking to constantly explore literary landscapes, not just for the sake of newness, but also because of how my stories progress and what I’m trying to do with them thematically. I also feel this small tug of rebellion to say to the world that I’m going to travel across many landscapes because, in literature, there are no passports, no visas and we’re free to go where we will. Rather than being pinned down by labels such as “Northeast writer”, “Indian writer” or “woman writer”, I’m constantly trying to dismantle them, and the only way I can do that is by writing and wandering off to wherever I want. I mostly just require quiet to be able to write. Some spaces have an inherent creative energy that I like to harness when I’m writing. So, whenever I’m house- hunting, the first question I ask myself is ‘Can I write here?‘ It’s always a mixed relationship with the place that we live in. You love it, loathe it, you want to flee and, at the same time, you also never want to leave – it’s a lot like a relationship with a person. My equation with Delhi is like that. A lot of things can annoy you in Delhi, but, in the end, you still love that October afternoon when there’s sun-dappled light and you’re in a little auto somewhere in central Delhi, passing old ruins and thinking, ‘I love Delhi. I never want to leave‘.

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A bit of armchair travel is the best way to inspire a future trip. If you can’t get away this month or simply want to drift off on a daydream for an hour or two, let our writers, photographers and travellers take you on a vicarious journey, whether into the depths of Assam’s national parks or to discover 10 truly-active Indian adventures.

Whatever type of trip you’re planning this month, we’ve got the know-how to help you on your way. Our experts and locals share their recommendations and insider tips, meaning you’ll have a better holiday, whether you fancy a quick city break, an active trip that will really push your boundaries or a lazy weekend in the countryside.

YOUR WORLD OF DISCOVERIES

explore

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TODAY IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE Italian cities without their legions of scooters propped up against ochre-painted walls, or bumping across cobbled piazzas with young couples on the seat. But, though the world’s � rst motorised two-wheeler had been built back in 1884, by the 1940s, the motorbike market had hardly spread beyond riders who didn’t mind wearing heavy-duty leathers.

Enter Piaggio. The 1884-founded company was looking to diversify from military vehicles into low-cost motor-scooters to appeal to a country rebuilding after World War II. The � rst prototype, the MP5, did not impress the boss – the blocky design was nicknamed ‘Paperino’, the Italian for Donald Duck. The challenge was taken up by Corradino d’Ascanio, an engineer who’d been trained in aeronautics and disliked motorbikes. His prototype became the Vespa 98. It went on sale in 1946, one year ahead of competitor Lambretta’s launch (and, in a stellar period for Italian design, the � rst branded Ferrari). Now, Italy had a vehicle ideally suited to street layouts hardly altered since the paint was wet in the Sistine Chapel. It didn’t take long for the rest of the world to notice. The 1953 � lm Roman Holiday saw Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck whizz past the Colosseum on a Vespa 125. Charlton Heston rode one in between scenes in Ben Hur, still in costume. And, in 1964, the year Corradino d’Ascanio left Piaggio, fans of the Vespa took on motorbike lovers as mods and rockers clashed at the English seaside.

THE SECRET HISTORY OF

The Vespa

EXPLORE

Vespa’s hometown is Pontedera, half an hour east of Pisa on the highway to Florence. The Museo Piaggio tells the scooter’s story, and its 250 pieces include several rare models (www.museopiaggio.it; entry free). You can � nd Vespa rentals and tours all across Italy. Staying in

Tuscany, you can take a day’s ride along country roads through olive groves and vineyards (www.tuscanybyvespa.com; Vespa option from `12,000), while those after some dolce vita in Rome can tour � lm locations (www.bicibaci.com; from `10,000).

Get up to speed on the early days of this feisty Italian icon

Take a Vespa for a spin

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The scooter got its name when company

owner Enrico Piaggio was presented with

the MP6 prototype in 1945. “Sembra una

vespa,” he said (“It looks like a wasp”).

The earliest Vespas had their headlights mounted on the front mudguard, but, starting with the 125 U in 1953, they moved to the handlebars.

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Argentinian authorities have just

designated a large northeastern

swathe of the country’s wetlands,

forests and grasslands as protected,

creating the Iberá National Park.

The country’s biggest, the park

is home to 4,000 species of flora

and fauna, including South America’s

largest cat, the jaguar (inset),

reintroduced here in 2011.

Other rewilding projects are

reestablishing tapirs and green-

winged macaws. The creation

of the park is a huge boost to such

efforts, as well as preserving the

environment for travellers to explore.

And, as if you need more reason to

plan a trip, Argentina was named

one of our top-value destinations in

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2019. NEW OPENING

A win for wildlife

EXPLORE

Argentina has a new

national park – and it’s home

to the mighty jaguar

GreatOutdoors

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Words: Anjuman Deodhar @deodharanjumanPhotographs: T Krishna Prabakar @krishnaprabakar

ANIMALS on my mind

A trifecta of national parks, an incredible array of exotic species, and acres of unspoilt forests:

this is Assam at its very best

JOURNAL

GreatOutdoors

The

THE PHOTO STORY

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Words GREGOR CLARK @thewideopenroad

UNSEEN GRAND CANYONGOING FURTHER

As the Grand Canyon celebrates 100 years

as a national park, we take an epic off-season

walk to the bottom of the mighty crevasse

FOR GEOLOGISTS, THERE’S NO PLACE ON EARTH

like the Grand Canyon. Nearly two billion

years of the planet’s history are encapsulated

in the canyon’s mile-high jumble of fossil-

laden rock layers, allowing scientists to take

a mesmerising walk back through time.

Science was never my thing, but universities

have standards, and mine wanted me to complete

three science classes. So when I saw ‘Geology of the

Grand Canyon’ among the autumn course options

for my second year, it was manna from heaven.

Taught by two long-haired graduate students,

this course’s big appeal was that its weekly

classroom sessions would be complemented

by a semester-ending Thanksgiving trek under

the full moon into the depths of America’s

greatest natural wonder. I signed up on the spot.

Two months later, on a chilly late-autumn

evening, I found myself driving through the night

from the San Francisco Bay Area to the canyon’s

South Rim, serenaded by the Grateful Dead

in a car of like-minded renegades.

We arrived just as dawn was sending red shoots

through the steely November sky, illuminating

a couple of inches of snow on the canyon rim

and the endless folds of the chasm beyond.

Starting from the New Hance trailhead, we were

to chart a precipitous seven-mile course down

to the Colorado River via the Red Canyon ravine,

returning via the more gradual Tonto and

Grandview Trails (the latter’s end at Grandview

Point is pictured here). Our instructors had chosen

this route – one of dozens that descend into the

canyon – because of its varied geological interest

and its relative efficiency in reaching

the bottom. The pitfalls of this approach soon

became apparent: this entire first day would

be down, down, relentlessly down from rim

to river. (For several weeks afterwards, the toll

on my knees was palpable, as even climbing

a simple staircase back home became

excruciatingly painful.)

Once you get below the rim, the world changes.

Sheltered from the harsher conditions of the

high-altitude Colorado Plateau, the trail soon

left the snow behind and we entered a world

of layered desert landscapes, where the intricacies

of Kaibab limestone, Coconino sandstone

and Bright Angel shale we had seen traced

on the classroom blackboard suddenly emerged

into vivid real-world focus. The canyon, so huge

and limitless from above, narrowed to intimacy

as we stair-stepped down into it, winding between

rocky outcrops dotted with juniper and piñon

pines, and losing sight of the Colorado River.

Here, the many colours of the canyon walls – reds,

whites, green-greys, creams, oranges and ochres

JOURNAL

GreatOutdoors

The

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Travel News News, views and more wonderful ways to discover our planet

If one of your restaurant bugbears is noisy neighbours, reserve now to eat somewhere

that has just seven tables spread across 1,200km. THE EDIBLE COUNTRY

is a Swedish project that aims to get people cooking with ingredients found

in the wild. Book a table for free in woodlands or on the rocky coast — you’ll get

the tools to cook with, and seasonal recipes devised by Michelin-starred chefs

(www.visitsweden.com/edible-country). If you want to test your skills at home,

the dishes (including the dessert on the right) mainly use plants that are easily available.

NEW LAUNCHES

INDIA ON YOUR PLATECINNAMON BEY BERUWALA,

part of the CINNAMON HOTELS

& RESORTS chain in Sri Lanka,

recently launched its Indian restaurant

TANDOOR. The restaurant will offer

guests a delectable array of traditional

Indian staple dishes and delicacies.

With the launch of this restaurant,

the hotel in Beruwala is now home

to seven unique dining experiences

(www.cinnamonhotels.com/en/

cinnamonbeyberuwala).

EATING AL FRESCO

Outdoor dining, anyone?ACORN AND HAZELNUT CRUMBS

WITH FRUIT AND BERRY COMPOTE

Serves four50g acorns (use fallen ones)

50g hazelnuts160g fruit, such as blueberries,

raspberries, pears, apples,

lingonberries and cloudberries

50g honey, plus more to taste

5g yarrow leaves

7g sweet cicely leaves

10g butterPinch of salt 100ml water n Make sure you positively

identify all wild ingredients.

n On day one, soak the acorns.

n The next day, peel and parboil

the acorns, then chop roughly. Peel

and chop the hazelnuts roughly.

n Fry the acorns and hazelnuts,

until they turn a beautiful golden

colour. Add the honey.

n Clean the berries and slice

the fruit. Place in a saucepan

with 100ml water. Bring to

a boil and add honey to taste.

n Serve the fruit and berry

compote warm, with the acorn

and hazelnut crumbs. Top with

yarrow and sweet cicely.

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EXPLORE

Weekend getaways, journeys of discovery, chill-out breaks. Take your pick!

Ditch the big-city life (for a bit)

Embark on a street-food tour in Amritsar, Punjab If you’re looking for a crash course in Punjabi cuisine, Amritsar’s perfect. You’ll find the expected: breakfasts of crumbly, spicy chhole-bature, hearty kadhi-rice for lunch, and decadent gaajar ka halwa to mark the end of meals. But, leave all that behind and set out instead on a street-food tour. Begin with the catfish tikka at Jagir Singh Fish Wala that dates back to 1958 – the delicately-seasoned besan coating goes really well with the fresh fish. If you’re lucky, you might get to watch people fight over Billa’s Chicken Corner’s sole offering: limited-edition twice-done tandoori chicken in an irresistible pool of butter and lemon juice. Committed non-vegetarians should head next to Mohan Meat Shop. Call for the gravelly brain masala and the tender mutton tikkas. But, if there’s one thing you must try before heading back home, it’s the malai chaap at Wah Ji Wah. Doused in full-fat cream, it could compete with a galauti kebab. For dessert, make your way to Ramesh Sharma Sweet Shop, and pick up a few baby gulab jamuns – they’re the only things you’ll have room for anyway.

Enjoy the bucolic pleasures of Vagamon, KeralaIdyllic, unassuming and teeming with deep-fried snacks, Vagamon, located on the Idukki-Kottayam border of Kerala’s Western Ghats, is what vacations were like in the 1990s. There’s a standard bouquet of sights to see, and the chance to chomp on too many too-sweet banana fritters. It’s the perfect place to just be. If you do decide to hit the tourist spots, start at the Vagamon Orchidarium and Floriculture Project. A picturesque undertaking by the Kerala Forest Development Corporation, the nearly 40-acre property, full of meadows and hills, is perfect for a little picnic. Head next to the popular cliff-top pine forest that leans into a yawning gorge – enjoy the views for a while before heading out to see the Palozhugumpara waterfall, milky, thunderous and mesmerising. Drive up to Kurisumala Ashram next, a Christian monastery founded in the ’50s by a Belgian missionary. You’ll find yourself pensive but only until you reach Vagamon Meadows. The bright-green swath of rolling meadows will make you feel a slight ache of nostalgia, but only for a while.

Go on the perfect do-nothing holiday in Alibaug, Maharashtra In Alibaug, there’s plenty of nothing to do. Whether you’re hanging out with friends or just looking for quiet time with the family or without, it’s perfect for a languorous weekend getaway. Alibaug’s caramel-brown to black beaches might not be spotless, but more than a couple are good for a bit of old-fashioned fun and games. If you’ve managed to snag a room at the hip Mango Beach House, grab one of the bicycles and pedal down to Kihim Beach (10km away). Akshi Beach and Nagaon Beach to the south are more popular with locals, and great for early- morning strolls. Just grab a ball, kick your shoes off and play some football on the beaches; they do get their share of trash lining the sides though. Kashid Beach (35km away) reigns supreme, and there’s something to be said for its clear waters. Walk along the beach or sink down on the sand until the sun sets. Back in Alibaug, there are plenty of great local eateries at which to tuck into some hearty Malvani food. Mostly though, you’ll just want to relax and do absolutely nothing. And no one will judge you for it.

Rolling hills, gorgeous cliff-top pine forests, a wide range of deep-fried snacks and an unshakeable air of nostalgia – holidaying in Vagamon feels like the 90s

Out of

KOCHI

(103km)Out of

MUMBAI

(95km)

Out of

DELHI

(500km)

1

2

3

4 5

STAY: Golden Tulip Amritsar (www.amritsar.goldentulip.com; from ̀ 4,500 with breakfast); Windsong (www.windsongboutiquebnb.com; from ̀ 6,000)

STAY: Mango Beach House – The Getaway @ Awas (www.mangoalibaug.com; from ̀ 6,000); Mahua Bagh (www.mahuaresorts.com; from ̀ 6,500)

STAY: Falcon Crest (www.thefalconcrest.com; from ̀ 2,700); Vagamon Heights (www.vagamonheights.com; from ̀ 4,950 with breakfast)

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1 & 2. In Alibaug, all that should be on your to-do list is lazing on the

beach and eating all you can3 & 5. From delish fish tikkas

to piping-hot samosas, Amritsar’s street-food options are top-notch

4. When you take a break from all the eating, drop

by the Golden Temple

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In this issue...VOLUME 10, ISSUE 3 | APRIL 2019

More ideas for your wish list48 Follow the trail of intrepid travellers into

the heart of Patagonia, Southern Chile, to discover a land full of new adventures

68 Join pilgrims as they seek spiritual renewal on the sacred paths of Japan’s Kii Peninsula

82 From traversing through tough terrain to diving deep into the ocean, our comprehensive guide to Taking on the Indian Outdoors will help you conquer the land, sea and everything in between

100 Journey by canal boat in Burgundy, France to discover the charms of traditional French life

110 Follow fashion designer and travel influencer Kresha Bajaj Zaveri on a gorgeous diving trip off the Raja Ampat Islands in Indonesia

116 Living quarters best suited to rugged forest dwellers, luxe, outdoorsy lodges and more – we help you pick cabins that match your style

Raja Ampat Islands, pg110

FEATURES Animals of Assam,

pg 28

France, pg 100 Japan, pg 68