2019-10-01 Wanderlust

TRAVEL SECRETS

132 wanderlust.co.uk October 2019

yourticketsasyougo,fromcityto

city.Italsogivesyoumuchmore

Žlexibility,andmeansyoudon’thave

theheadacheofhavingtoplan

everystepofyourtripbeforeyou

leave.TrainsrarelyselloutinRussia,

andticketsareeasytobookonline

directlywithRussianRailways

(http://eng.rzd.ru).

TheupdatededitionofTheTrans-

SiberianHandbookisoutnow.

145

BoardtheMalawi

Lakeferryfor

perfectsunsets

HelenaSmith,

author,BradtTravel

Guide:Malawi

Malawi’slakeferry

providesawonderfulwaytosee

thecountry,keepingyouwell

clearofthesometimesstressful

roads.FromMonkeyBayinthe

southtoChilumbawayupnorth,

viaenticingstopssuchaslively

NkhataBayandremoteLikoma

Island,theMVIlalamakes

agraciousweeklycircuitround

thelakeports.Thetimetableis

amoveablefeast,butthere’s

adecentrestaurantonboardand

a’ordableŽirst-classdecktickets

letyoucatchthebreezeonthe

uncrowdedupperdeck.Mighty

Žisheaglessoaroverhead,andthe

lakesunsetsareunforgettable.

TheupdatedBradtTravelGuide:

Malawiisoutnow.

146

SeetheCanadian

Rockiesbyrail

MelissaGraham,author,

Trans-CanadaRail

Guide(Trailblazer)

Manytravellersarewary

ofvisitingCanadainwinter,but

ridingtheTrans-Canadarailway

betweenNovemberandMarch

cannotonlysaveyoumoney,but

thetrainispeaceful,cosyand

atmospheric–andtheviewsonto

Canada’sawe-inspiringscenery

aretrulymagical,wheneverything

iscoveredbysnow,especiallyin

theRockyMountains.What’smore,

winterticketsalwayshavegood

availability,whereashighseason

sleeperclassticketssellout.

TheupdatededitionoftheTrans-

CanadaRailGuideisoutnow.

Inthedrivingseat

Frommountainsto

beaches,there’s

plentytoseeonaroad

triptoMontenegro

ROAD TRIPS

There’snobetterwaytoseeacountrythanbytakingto

theroadtodiscovernewsightsaroundeverycorner,

butwhichworthyroadtripshavebeenoverlooked?

147

Takearoadtripin

Montenegro

Mountains.Beaches.Cuisine...

Withwordunderstandablystarting

togetoutaboutMontenegro,take

toyourcartoticko’thehidden

highlightsofthisoft-overlooked

destinationbeforeŽillsupwith

tourists.MakesureyoustickLake

Skadar,ProkletjieandBojanaIsland

onyouritinerary.

148

Findsolitude

ontheroadinthe

Omandesert

Omanisarealtreatforroadtrips

• withemptyhighways,cheap
  petrol(lessthan50p/litre),and
  trulybombasticscenery.From
  thearidRamlatTawqdesertto
  theplungingcanyonsofJebel
  Akhdar,you’lleatupthemiles
  inrelativesolitude,withplentiful
  opportunitiesforwildcamping

andhikingalongtheway.Start

inMuscat,andheadsouthto

theturtlenestingbeachesof

RasalJinz,beforecatchingthe

ferrytoMasirahIsland:asleepy

slipofbeaches,mountainsand

camel-troddentracks.Backon

themainland,drivethrough

WahibaSandswithaplumeof

desertdustinyourwake–heading

northtothewesternHajar

mountainsforitsfossil-dotted

peaksandrushingrivers.

149

Drivethrough

thelandof

eagles,Albania

Getintogeartomotorthrough

Albania’slong,turbulenthistory

andarrestingculture,takingyou

fromartyShkodratohistorical

Krujatothebirdwatchinghavenof

KaravastaLagoon,amidawealth

ofwildlife-richnationalparks.

Alamy