2020-03-01_Wanderlust

164 wanderlust.co.ukMarch 2020

DISCOVER Q&A

WhetherexploringMayansitesinremoteCentralAmerica,searchingforpelicansonGreek

lakes or discovering nature on a city break in Bratislava – our experts share their travel tips

TRAVELLING OFF THE BEATEN

TRACK IN CENTRAL AMERICA

Q

We’re going to north-east

Guatemala to see the

ancient ruins of Tikal and thinking

of crossing into western Belize

to explore Caracol while in the

area. Do you know of other

oƒ beat sites we could visit

while we’re over the border?

Julia Bradford, via email

A

It’s deinitely worth spending

longer in Belize. There’s plenty

to see in this intriguing Central

American country, especially

hidden away in the western jungly

mountains. Caracol, Belize’s largest

Maya city (and with fewer visitors

than Tikal) is a good choice, but you

should also head north to the Maya

ruins at Xunantunich, accessed

via a hand-cranked ferry. Combine

a visit with canoeing on the remote

Macal River, scanning for wildlife

such as the keel-billed toucan

(Belize’s national bird), and checking

in to rustic rainforest lodges.

If you’ve a desire to travel even

further o -grid, the barely-inhabited

hills of the Mountain Pine Ridge

Forest Reserve are also a good

place – seek out Thousand-Foot

Falls (actually 1,600ft [485m] tall),

explore the wild terrain by mountain

bike and on foot, and check out the

Río Frio area, riddled with caves.

However, for the most thrilling

subterranean adventure, book a trip

to the cave of Actun Tunichil Muknal:

trek through the jungle, wade and

swim inside, then clamber deep into

the dark chambers, once used for

Maya sacriices – a human skeleton,

cloaked in calcite crystals, can still

be seen sparkling on the ground.

Sarah Baxter

EXPERTS

Ask the experts

CROSSING GREECE IN

SEARCH OF PELICANS

Q

I’m visiting the Prespa Lakes

in Greece as I hear it’s a good

destination for birdwatching,

especially pelicans. Where is

a convenient base to travel out of?

Hyunju Lee, via email

A

Prespa Lakes National Park

consists of two freshwater lakes

nestled in the mountainous north-

west corner of Greece. The largest

lake, Megali Prespa, is shared

between Greece, Albania and North

Macedonia and is fringed with

Byzantine relics. Mikri Prespa Lake –

smaller, shallower and separated

from Megali by a thin natural

causeway – is lined by reed beds and

is the focus of most aquatic birdlife.

The lakes hold one of the largest

Dalmatian pelican breeding colonies

Sarah Baxter

The travel writer’s latest

book Hidden Places:

An Inspired Traveller’s

Guide (£15; White Lion

Publishing) is out

on 3 March

Rebecca Nason

The guidebook writer’s

newest title, Birds of

Greece: Pocket Photo

Guides (£10; Helm,

Bloomsbury Publishing)

is out now

Tim Burford

The travel writer’s

latest title, the

updated guidebook

to Bratislava (£13,

Bradt), is out now