LEISURE 41
10 August 2019 THE WEEKTravelMost visitors to Chilean Patagonia flock
to the south, for the Torres del Paine
National Park. But in the north, there
are other nature reserves that harbour
equally beautiful and “exhilarating”
landscapes, yet attract far fewer tourists.
Eleven of them lie along the Carretera
Austral, says Claire Wrathall in the FT –
a“supremely scenic” road that winds
for 1,240km through Aysén,aprovince
withapopulation density of one person
per square kilometre. Work on the road
was begun on the orders of General
Pinochet in 1976, but half of its length is
still unpaved, and hasapotholed, gravel
surface that is bumpy but bearable.
Unless you’re prepared to camp, your
itinerary will depend on which of the
region’s lodges andrefugiosyou choose to visit. They are few, and
generally simple. An exception to that is BordeBaker Lodge, with
“beautifully designed” woodencasitas.Itsits near Parque
Patagonia,a752,000-acre wilderness area that was given to the
Chilean forestry service this year by Tompkins Conservation, a
foundation set up by the late Doug
Tompkins, founder of the North Face
clothing brand. Swathes of farmland
here have been returned to their wild
state, and sightings of endemic wildlife
–including vizcachas (a kind of big
chinchilla) and pichi (dwarf armadillos)
–are increasingly common.
In the Cerro Castillo National
Reserve, you might hike up through
forests of Andean and Antarctic beech
to the snowfield below Cerro Castillo
itself,a“great jagged amphitheatre” of
rock that’s quite as impressive as the
Torres del Paine. There are prehistoric
hand paintings in the “lunar-like”
Jeinimeni National Reserve, and
“cathedral-like” caves of blue marble
beside the “preternaturally azure” waters of General Carrera
Lake. Yet more “humbling” is the “towering” ice wall at the
northern tip of the Southern Patagonian ice field,afour-hour boat
trip from the road.Pura Aventura (pura-aventura.com) has a
14-night trip from £4,680pp, excluding international flights.This week’s dream: an epic road trip through PatagoniaGetting the flavour of...Edinburgh b&b stay
Spend2nights at the 4-star
Ten Hill Place Hotel, with
breakfast andadinner on your
first night, from £203pp (based
on two sharing). 0131-662
2080, tenhillplace.com. Arrive
9September.
New York flights for two
Head to the incomparable Big
Apple for7nights with this
special deal on return flights
from Manchester, from
£280pp. 01733-224330,
thomascookairlines.com.
Depart 11 September.Sri Lankan resort break
Stay at the alluring Centara
Ceysands Resort&Spa on a
half-board basis, from £849pp,
including Cardiff flights.
01204-874378, destinology.
co.uk. Book by 15 August for
21 September departure.Pride of Panama cruise
This 7-night all-inclusive cruise
starts in Jamaica with stops in
Colombia, Panama and Costa
Rica. From £983pp, including
London flights. 020-3636
1931, tui.co.uk. Depart
17 December.Amiraculous Roman mosaic
Discovered byafarmer more thanadecade
ago, the fourth century Villa Romano de
Noheda, on the “parched” plains of central
Spain, may have been one of the biggest and
most opulent country houses in the entire
Roman Empire. Last month, the site opened
to the public for the first time, says Nigel
Richardson in The Daily Telegraph–and
though only 5% of it has been excavated so
far, it’s already worth visiting for the
astonishing mosaic in the house’s triclinium,
or dining room. Measuring 2,500 sq ft and
depicting myths like the abduction of Helen
of Troy, it is vast, and among the most
detailed and well-preserved in its class.Atrip
from Madrid–100 miles away–might take
in the nearby town of Cuenca, which is
famous for the medievalcasas colgadas,or
“hanging houses”, that cling to the cliffs on
which it is perched.For guided tours, email
[email protected].Camping on Brownsea Island
The largest island in Dorset’s Poole Harbour,
Brownsea was the inspiration for the Famous
Five’s Whispering Island and the site of Lord
Baden-Powell’s first-ever Scout camp. Now
owned by the National Trust, it isanatural
treasure, says Jane Dunford in The Guardian,
with an amazing range of habitats and
wildlife, including all kinds of birdlife, sea-
swimming sika deer and one of England’slast colonies of red squirrels. The ferry from
the mainland takes ten minutes, so most
visitors are day-trippers, but there are two
cottages for rent and, for the first time this
summer,acampsite (including tree tents –
“like sleeping onatrampoline”) and
dormitory accommodation for 24. Children
are well catered for, with nature trails, tree-
climbing routes, bat detectors for hire and so
on –oryou can book intoafamily adventure
weekend, with campfires and activities
including archery and canoeing.America’s weedtourism
Eleven US states have now legalised the sale
and consumption of cannabis, and
entrepreneurs are capitalising on it by selling
“marijuana-infused” tours and experiences,
says Susan G. Hauser in The New York
Times. In Denver, the Original Colorado
Cannabis Tour includes visits by bus to two
dispensaries (“on-board consumption of
purchases is encouraged”),agrowing facility
andaglass-pipe blowing demonstration. And
the Puff, Pass&Paint art class is overseen by
ateacher who believes that weed helps pupils
“think outside the box”. There are also tours
in San Diego, Seattle, Portland and Las
Vegas, where Matthew Miner’s three-hour
Herbology 101 jaunt includes stops at a
kitchen where cannabis edibles are made and
acannabis art museum, Cannabition, where
you can see the world’s largest bong.Azerai Can ThoVietnam
Azerai is hotelier Adrian Zecha’s
first foray into the “luxe for less”
market, but has the same
“understated” modern aesthetic as
his swish Aman chain, says Condé
Nast Traveller. So far, two hotels
bearing the brand name have
opened in Vietnam–abrand-new
property in Hue, and this original
one in Can Tho, the cultural capital
of the Mekong Delta. It sits on a
peaceful private island,ashort
boat hop from the town’s floating
market, and consists of 60
“colonial-style villas” filled with
warm wood and bamboo,
scattered across “shady” gardens
and arounda“lotus-flecked” lake.
There’saspa and two restaurants
serving Vietnamese, Japanese and
Mediterranean food.
Doubles from £180; azerai.com.Hotel of the weekThe “exhilarating” landscapes of PatagoniaLast-minute offers from top travel companies