DRIFT Travel Magazine Spring 2024

VOL 08 / ISSUE 02 

LIVE WELL - TRAVEL OFTEN 

Travel Magazine 

Portugal 

LITERARY HISTORY & 

CULINARY DELIGHTS 

PRISTINE 

WATERS 

AND RICH 

HISTORY 

OF THE 

SOLOMON 

ISLANDS 

VIETNAM 

GUATEMALA 

BOTSWANA 

INDONESIA 

MEXICO 

CROATIA

DRIFT Travel Magazine 

is available on 

PressReader

02 

VOL 08 / ISSUE 02 

CONTENTS 

PORTUGAL BY THE BOOK 10 

Nancie Hall 

Journey through Portugal’s rich tapestry of history 

and culture, from the charming medieval town of 

Óbidos with its literary infusions and chocolate 

delights to Coimbra’s prestigious university 

steeped in ancient lore. Discover Portugal’s 

passionate embrace of tradition and modernity. 

TASTE OF PORTUGAL 16 

Iris Brooks 

Delve into Portugal’s culinary heritage 

through its agritourism, from handharvested 

salt and artisanal cheeses to 

traditional sweets, highlights include the 

deep connection between local flavors 

and historical practices. 

PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY 22 

Philip Scott 

Philip Scott’s photo essay captures the vibrant 

essence of Vietnam, from bustling street markets 

in Hanoi to the serene Ha Long Bay. Through his 

lens, Scott seeks out authentic moments, portraying 

everyday life, natural beauty, and the dynamic 

culture of Vietnam. 

SOLOMON ISLANDS 34 

Andrew Marshall 

Join Andrew as he explores the Solomon 

Islands’ pristine beauty and enduring 

traditions across its 992 islands. He 

highlights the cultural practices like 

shark calling and sacred skull shrines in a 

timeless setting.

GUATEMALA 40 BOTSWANA 44 

INDONESIA 54 

Matthew Schueller 

A mesmerizing journey from Belize 

to Guatemala, culminating in a visit 

to Tikal, where the awe-inspiring 

Maya ruins surpass expectations. 

It explores Tikal’s rich wildlife, 

imposing temples, and the deep 

cultural impact of the site. 

Allison Foat 

Discover the enchanting wilderness of 

the Makgadikgadi salt pans, detailing 

the transformative experience at 

Jack’s Camp. Learn about the camp’s 

luxurious facilities, expert guiding, 

and the profound natural beauty of 

this remote landscape. 

Andrew Marshall 

Roti Island’s lontar palm, revered 

as the ‘tree of life.’ Dive deep into 

local customs, from traditional 

climbing and tapping practices 

to the palm’s use in daily life and 

cultural symbols. 

MEXICO 62 CROATIA 68 

COLUMNS 

Robyn Phillips 

The Carnivals of Quintana Roo, 

a vibrant celebration along the 

Caribbean coastline that melds 

tradition, music, and color, 

reflecting the rich cultural heritage 

and dynamic spirit of the region. 

Sylvia Tennant 

The Konavle Valley, just south of 

Dubrovnik, known as “The Provence 

of the Dubrovnik region.” Home to 

unique cultural activities, historical 

sites, amazing cuisine, and 

authentic wine tasting experiences. 

TRAVEL GEAR 6 

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

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editor@DRIFTtravel.com 

Advertising Inquiries 

sales@DRIFTtravel.com 

CONTRIBUTORS 

IRIS BROOKS, JON H. DAVIS, 

STEVE DRAKE, ALLISON FOAT, 

NANCIE HALL, ANDREW MARSHALL, 

ROBYN PHILLIPS, MATTHEW SCHUELLER, 

PHILIP SCOTT, SYLVIA TENNANT 

© COPYRIGHT DRIFT TRAVEL MAGAZINE/GLOSSY MEDIA 2015-2024

06 

BLUETTI PORTABLE POWER 

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station that offers a robust 204Wh capacity and a 300W 

AC output, with a peak output of 600W. It features a highly 

durable LiFePO4 battery that supports over 3,000 charge 

cycles, ensuring longevity and reliability. The power station 

charges efficiently with 270W turbo charging capabilities, 

reaching 80% charge in just 45 minutes. It is designed for 

quiet operation and includes smart features like remote 

control via the BLUETTI app. This model is particularly 

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KNEEFLOW 

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activity stresses and chronic pain management. 

6 

DRIFT TRAVEL

TRAVEL GEAR 

COLUMBIA 

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Konos TRS OutDryShoe 

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midsole delivers responsive cushioning and energy return 

for long-lasting comfort during hikes. The Adapt Trax 

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Lightweight and breathable, this shoe is an excellent choice 

for hiking enthusiasts who value comfort and durability 

without sacrificing style. Additionally, its compact design 

makes it easy to pack and ideal for travelers. 

COLUMBIA 

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Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Jacket 

The Men’s Arch Rock Double Wall Elite Hooded Jacket 

from Columbia Sportswear is engineered for the outdoor 

enthusiast. This jacket features the Double Wall construction 

that enhances thermal efficiency and comfort in cold 

conditions. Outfitted with Columbia’s OutDry technology, it 

offers exceptional waterproof and breathable performance, 

ensuring the wearer remains dry and comfortable in wet 

weather. The hood provides additional protection against 

the elements, making it ideal for hiking, camping, and 

everyday wear. Its compact design and lightweight feel also 

make it easy to travel with, providing a practical choice for 

adventurers on the move.

UNDER ARMOUR 

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The Under Armour Unisex UA Fat Tire 

Venture Pro Shoes are inspired by the 

robust design of a Fat Tire bike, built to 

tackle any terrain. These shoes feature 

a lightweight, durable ripstop upper 

with suede overlays and robust laces for 

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and helps propel the wearer forward. The 

rugged rubber outsole includes unique 

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UNDER ARMOUR 

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8 

DRIFT TRAVEL 

The Unisex UA Utility Flex Sling by Under Armour is 

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TRAVEL GEAR 

THERMACELL 

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The Thermacell E55 Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller is 

an effective, portable solution for creating a mosquitofree 

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bites. It is easy to operate and comes with a rechargeable 

battery, offering several hours of continuous use on a 

single charge. Ideal for outdoor activities like camping, 

gardening, or backyard gatherings, the E55 ensures a 

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messy sprays, making it an essential tool for anyone 

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of mosquitoes. 

SOLE ReCORK 

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The Jasper Chukka from SOLE ReCORK embodies a 

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Designed for versatile wear, the Jasper Chukka is ideal for 

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the ease of a sneaker with the comfort of a slipper, 

offering a lightweight and breathable shoe experience. 

The upper part of the shoe is crafted from soft, supple 

materials that allow it to pack down flat, making it 

exceptionally travel-friendly

10 | DRIFT TRAVEL 

PORTUGAL 

BY THE BOOK 

BY NANCIE HALL 

/10 

Mention Portugal and there are squeals of delight over the 

beautiful beaches, warm hospitality, and wonderful wines. 

Turn back the pages of time and the stories are of castles 

and kings, daring sea faring, and a rich cultural history. On 

this trip, the country woos and romances with the love of 

books and the written word.

CHARMING ÓBIDOS! 

Crowning the top of a hilltop, Óbidos 

is often called the Queen’s Present 

– a reference to its connection to a 

royal romance when the town was 

gifted to Queen Isabel by King Dinis 

in the 13th century. It continued to 

be passed down as part of the royals’ 

dowry which contributed to it being 

one of the best-preserved medieval 

towns in the country. Less than an 

hour’s drive from Lisbon it’s a sweet 

getaway for lovers of architecture, 

books and chocolate. 

Ginja & Chocolates. Stepping through 

massive meter-thick walls that are 

draped in brilliant bougainvillea 

reveals a picturesque village with 

sparkling white washed buildings 

and colorful shutters. Narrow 

cobblestone streets demand a slow 

stroll which a perfect way to savor 

this sweet place. 

TURN BACK THE 

PAGES OF TIME AND 

THE STORIES ARE 

OF CASTLES AND 

KINGS, DARING SEA 

FARING, AND A RICH 

CULTURAL HISTORY. 

The main street of Rua Direita 

that leads up to the historic castle 

is a dawdler’s dream with small 

storefronts bursting with treasures of 

pottery, tiles, textiles and bookstores 

tucked along the way. In addition to 

being a book lovers delight, Óbidos 

has hosted international chocolate 

festivals for close to two decades and 

is also home to the traditional sour 

cherry liqueur called Ginja that is 

produced in the area. The small sour 

Ginja berries, also known as Morella 

cherries, are mixed with sugar and 

spices like cinnamon and cloves to 

create a luscious ruby liqueur that 

can pack a punch. Street stalls offer 

plenty of samples but the ultimate 

combo is a shot of Ginja served in a 

chocolate cup. 

DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS 

COVER 

Continuing along the main street 

leads to the stunning Church of 

Santiago. Built in 1186, it was used 

by the royal family when they were 

in residence at the castle and with 

a church door that opened directly 

into castle, it was an easy commute. 

The structure was rebuilt in 1722 

after a devastating earthquake and 

was the inspiration behind the town’s 

concept to repurpose abandoned 

properties as bookstores. Now 

it is the largest and prettiest of 

the 11 booksellers, with volumes 

that stretch up the walls towards 

the heavens and surround the 

ornate alter. 

Other buildings, often disguised, 

have also been put to literary work. 

The Livraria do Mercao sells local 

fruit and vegetables along with 

herbs, chocolates - and books. Old 

wooden boxes that were used to 

harvest produce now swing from the 

ceiling and are stacked with titles. 

And a few stores down, the bottles 

have been replaced with books at a 

former winery. 

The Casa de Saramago is a delightful 

library that pays homage to the 

country’s favorite literary son, Jose 

Saramago. Architecturally designed 

with a sleek and contemporary 

interior, the three-story building 

has cozy chairs to curl up in 

and a stunning roof top terrace 

with sweeping views of the town 

and beyond. 


11 

DRINK – OR FALL 

ASLEEP WITH A BOOK 

Bibliophiles will swoon when they 

enter the Literary Man Hotel. 

Formerly a convent, the 30-room 

hotel is awash with sunny yellow 

walls, antique ceramic tiles, stone 

floors – and books from floor to 

ceiling. Over 45,000 titles line the 

hallways, climb up the walls and are 

poised in cozy nooks for readers to 

tuck in and read. The restaurant 

serves Portuguese favorites like 

codfish and shrimp, while the lounge 

has its own brand of ginja that makes 

an ideal souvenir to sip - over a 

book, of course!

UNESCO RECOGNITION 

In 2015, UNESCO honored Óbidos 

with the title of a Creative City of 

Literature, joining Dublin, Barcelona 

and 40 other cities around the world 

who have been similarly recognized. 

The same year, the town hosted its 

first FOLIO International Literary 

Festival which has become the most 

important literary festival in Portugal 

with lectures, workshops and 

entertainment. 

COIMBRA CALLS! 

Want to experience the real 

Portugal? Head for Coimbra. 

Formerly the capital of Portugal, it 

was home to the royals and oozes 

culture, history and art. This is 

where you can sit on a sunny terrace 

with a gelato and eavesdrop on 

old men who gather for coffee and 

conversation, listen to impromptu 

music performances, and browse 

pastry shops with a festival of sweets 

behind glistening glass. Flowers 

cascade from apartment window 

boxes, women lean out of high story 

windows and call out to friends, and 

tiny storefronts entice with an array 

of perfumeries, exquisite shoe stores 

and markets bursting with cheese 

and meats perfect for a picnic. 

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT 

The intimate city is highly walkable, 

and a wander along the narrow 

cobblestone streets reveals 

architectural beauties that timetravel 

you from the 13th century to 

present day. The Mondego River 

- the longest river in Portugal, runs 

145 miles through the country to the 

Atlantic Ocean and slices through the 

city, leaving lush riverside parks filled 

with strolling lovers and families. 

Higher Education. If you only have 

time to see one thing in Coimbra, 

head to the university. Along leafylined 

boulevards, past multi-colored 

houses stacked on top of each other 

without an inch between. Founded 

in 1290 it commands center stage 

high on a hilltop and became the 

center for education, attracting 

scholars from around the Old World. 

Today it is considered to be one 

of the most prestigious in Europe 

and is one of only five universities 

designated by UNESCO as a World 

Heritage Site. 

The Harry Potter Connection. J.K. 

Rowling, author of the Harry Potter 

books, lived in Portugal for a few 

years and is said to have used the 

university for her inspiration. The 

similarities are striking. The long 

black clocks worn by the students 

(and Hogwarts), were introduced 

centuries ago to eliminate any class 

distinction although they are no 

longer mandatory. And the Hogwarts 

Library bears a close resemblance to 

the Biblioteca Joanina. 

BATS & BOOKS IN A 

BAROQUE LIBRARY 

The jewel in the crown of the 

university is the Biblioteca Joanina 

or Joanina Library, named in honor 

of King John V who authorized the 

building’s construction. Completed 

in 1728, the opulent baroque design 

dazzles with silk Chinoiserie, gold

filigree, gilded archways, massive 

frescoes that caress walls and 

soaring ceilings, ornate carvings and 

60,000 books, some that date back 

to the 16th century. 

The building is an architectural 

marvel with exterior walls over 

six feet thick and double wall that 

effectively forms a vault to maintain 

a constant temperature and keeps 

moisture at bay. The space between 

the walls creates reading rooms, 

ladders are invisibly tucked within 

the design to reach the sky-high 

books, and the oak bookshelves were 

selected for their density and ability 

to repel insects. 

For over 250 years at the end of each 

day the library rolls out leather mats 

to cover the tables in preparation of 

the arrival of the colony of bats who 

forage at night on the bugs that are 

the books’ foe. 

THE ACADEMIC PRISON 

Until 1834, the university was self 

governing and the on-site prison, 

located deep under the foundations 

of the library, protected faculty and 

students from any contact with 

common criminals. Head down 

to see the winding staircase and 

hobbit-like cells that are the oldest 

in the country and date back to 

medieval times. 

AND THERE’S MORE 

Other musts include the 18th 

century Botanical Garden which is 

considered to be one of the great 

gardens of the world and dates 

back to 1772. Filled with fountains, 

sculptures, an antique greenhouse 

and even an old chapel in the 

woods, it’s easy to spend hours 

exploring. And the Museu Nacional 

de Machado de Castro is a beauty. 

Housed in the former Bishop’s 

Palace, it includes the cloister from 

the 12th century church, early alters, 

a stunning art collection, Gothic 

sculptures, ornately crafted furniture, 

and silver. But the highlight could 

very well be what lies below the 

museum - an enormous two-story 

series of tunnels, passageways and 

stalls that were discovered during 

excavations and are remnants of an 

ancient Roman forum. 

LITERARY LISBON 

Lisbon has a certain air of romance 

about it with the salt air, sunshine 

and charming architecture. Here 

are a few of the favorite haunts of 

Fernando Pessoa, one of the great 

poets of the 20th century poets who 

lived in Lisbon for most of his life. 

DINING WITH A GHOST AT 

LISBON’S OLDEST RESTAURANT 

A couple of steps inside Martinho 

da Arada, Lisbon’s oldest restaurant, 

reveals a table displaying a 

reservation under the Fernando 

Pessoa. Sadly, he died in 1935 at 

the age of 47, but was a regular at 

the café that has been a fixture for 

artists and intellectuals for over 200 

years. This is said to have been 

Pessoa’s favorite café and he would 

often stay after it closed to write. 

The restaurant drips of history and 

old-world charm with marble floors, 

white linen tablecloths, banquettes 

tucked in the alcoves and snappy 

waiters in crisp white shirts and black 

vests. If only the walls could talk. 


13

FERNANDO 

PESSOA HOUSE MUSEUM 

This is not your usual museum so it’s 

not a surprise that it was honored 

with the country’s top museum 

award in 2021. For the last 15 years 

of his life, Pessoa lived here and 

the exhibit brings him to life with 

interactive and evocative insights 

into his work. At every turn there 

is something to see or do or listen 

to. His room has been recreated 

and is filled with personal items and 

sketches, including some of the over- 

60 identities or heteronyms that he 

created with excruciatingly elaborate 

details. The fictitious personalities 

were carefully crafted with physical 

appearances, dispositions, intricate 

astrology charts, biographies, 

clothing preferences and even 

different handwriting. 

BONANZA OF BOOKSTORES 

A browse around the elegant and 

historic Chiado neighborhood will 

lead you to what is considered to 

be the world’s oldest bookshop, 

Livraria Bertrand. Operating since 

1732, it offers a variety of books in 

various languages and is a perfect 

place to pick up a novel by Fernando 

Pessoa or Pulitzer Prize winner Jose 

Saramago. A short distance away, 

the Lx Factory complex has been repurposed 

with eclectic shops, cafes 

and artisan workshops. The colorful 

Ler Devagare is part bookstore and 

part art gallery in a former printing 

factory with a relaxed vibe, cute café 

and vinyl records to listen to.

DID YOU KNOW? 

• Portugal is the oldest country in 

Europe. 

• The Portuguese explorer, 

Ferdinand Magellan was the first to 

circumnavigate the world. 


15 

• Portugal is home to 17 UNESCO World 

Heritage Sites and is one of the top 20- 

most visited countries in the world. 

• Portugal is part of the European Union 

but the Madeira islands are in the 

African continent and the Azores are 

in the American continent. 

• The country is rectangular and from 

north-south the distance is 349 miles 

(561 km) and 135 miles (218 k,) wide 

from east to west.

16 A TASTE OF PORTUGAL 

SALTY AND SWEET 

BY IRIS BROOKS 

Portugal is known for more than its 

rocky coastline, impressive handpainted 

tiles, and poignant fado 

music. The alluring flavors of Portugal 

along with their culinary heritage 

within a framework of agritourism 

satisfy our senses. 

Salt 

Salt, a well-loved commodity 

around the world is said to be 

the difference between eating in 

Technicolor as opposed to black 

and white. Salt has been revered 

throughout history: Gandhi led 

peaceful protests against the British 

salt monopoly, the Chinese boiled 

seawater in the 19th century BC to 

extract this precious product, and 

Roman soldiers were paid their 

wages in salt (giving birth to the 

word “salary”). In ancient Greece, 

(where this valuable commodity was 

guarded by the politicians), Plutarch 

considered it, “the noblest of foods.” 

Some even called upon salt as a 

weapon, throwing it into the eyes of 

their enemies. In sub-Saharan Africa, 

salt, transported by camels, was 

considered more valuable than gold 

throughout the Mandinka Empire. 

Louisa May Alcott wrote about its 

value: “Salt is like good-humor, 

and nearly every thing is better 

for a pinch of it.” But it is in 

southern Portugal that I gain a new 

appreciation for this treasured 

marine commodity when introduced 

to a wide array of salts by Jorge 

Raiado, owner of the Salmarim 

Salt Company. Located near the 

salt marshes of the Castro Marim 

Nature Reserve, salt is collected by 

hand in traditional saltpans. Raiado 

explains only a small amount is 

needed to bring out the taste and 

aroma of food.

Salts range from traditional coarse 

flakes to more experimental blends 

mixed with red pepper, oregano, 

lemon, or apricots. Some are drawn 

to artisanal salt in a smoked infusion; 

others opt for the gourmet, handharvested, 

“salt flower”(flor de sal). 

This refers to the fine crystals, 

which are known for their mineral 

content, and skimmed off the top 

of the water in the salt beds for a 

premium product, considered the 

“caviar of salt,” since it intensifies 

flavors. The particularly white hue is 

due to the hot, dry climate while the 

packaging is captivating both in small, 

colorful boxes of mini test tubes 

and traditional cork jars, keeping the 

humidity to a minimum. 


17 

“RATHER THAN GIVING 

AN INJECTION TO MILK 

THE SHEEP, I PREFER TO 

PLAY CLASSICAL MUSIC 

TO RELAX THEM BEFORE 

HAND-MILKING.” 

- FARMER RICARDO COUTO 

Cheese 

A variety of artisanal sheep and goat 

cheeses from mild to pungent are 

produced throughout Portugal along 

with high-quality regional wines. A 

charismatic Dom and his uncle, the 

refined Duke of Palmelo, greet me 

in the Portuguese countryside to 

view their state-of the-art artisanal 

cheese-making facility, Casa de 

Calhariz on their family estate. 

While gentleman farmer Dom Pedro 

is more interested in speaking 

about scuba diving off the pristine 

Portuguese islands in the Azores, 

he does tour me around the cheese 

operation after I cover my shoes with 

baby blue paper booties (similar to 

ones I wore in an Asian museum to 

preserve its floors).

I am visiting an area of Portugal 

(the most western point on the 

European continent) known for its 

flavorful cheese made from raw 

sheep milk, salt, and a thistle (cynara 

cardunculus), which separates 

the curd from the whey. The 

microclimate from the Arrabida 

Mountains and the grass that grows 

in this region of the Costa Azul, 

where shades of blues and greens 

dominate the landscape, contribute 

to the distinctive Azeitao sheep 

cheese. It’s a creamy, semi-soft 

cheese with a pale yellow rind. 

Nearby in a lush area of the foothills 

of the Arrabida mountain range, 

I discover sheep eat the fruit of 

cork trees, making their milk more 

fatty, which means producing more 

cheese. At the small, rural Cheese 

Museum in a former horse stable 

dating from 1643, you can watch the 

traditional cheese-making process 

with the aid of a large pottery 

urn, a long wooden spoon, and a 

roaring fire. Some view a demo; 

others participate in handcrafting 

the cheese. Farmer Ricardo Couto 

explains: ”Rather than giving an 

injection to milk the sheep, I prefer 

to play classical music to relax them 

before hand-milking.“ 

Cheese is associated with regions 

of Portugal and considered part 

of the cultural heritage with D.O.P. 

designations for the traditionally 

produced sheep cheese like those 

from the historic area of Serpa. 

Others, such as the famous and 

oldest cheese of Serra da Estrela 

from the north or the milder buttery 

Queijo de Azeitao produced south 

of Lisbon, require different methods 

for tasting. These delicious cheeses 

are eaten by cutting off the top of the 

round cheese wheel to spoon out 

the soft inside. 

Other cheeses are cut more 

conventionally and the light rind is 

often consumed. There are ultrawhite 

fresh cheeses, made from 

cow and goat milk with a softer 

consistency, a bit crumbly when cut 

from the small wheel without any 

rind. The consistency of each cheese 

relates to how old it is. I learn the 

same semi-soft cheeses become 

drier and denser as they age, noting 

my preference for the fresher ones 

found at local grocery stores as well 

as fine dining establishments. Some 

restaurants serve Azeitao cheese 

in shot glasses with a breadstick to 

scoop it out. This cheese is often 

accompanied by local honey.

Honey 

Beekeeping and honey production 

on the Iberian Peninsula is 

documented in cave paintings 

dating from 7000 BC. And honey 

has been used for everything from 

healing wounds, as an ingredient 

in fermented alcoholic beverages 

(mead), and embalming fluid to 

serving as a form of currency. Others 

preferred eating it! Think of Winnie 

the Pooh and Ben Franklin, who 

penned: ”If you have no honey in 

your pot, have some in your mouth.” 

Connected with magic, mythology, 

and healing, bees and their amberhued 

honey have captured the 

attention of everyone from Greek 

philosophers to British playwright 

Shakespeare and American novelist 

Truman Capote. 

Enthusiastic guide Diana Nunes 

of Portugal4U specializes in 

authentic local experiences with 

cooking workshops, craft projects, 

and traditional tours such as an 

exploration of a chestnut route. 

She arranges my visit with a wellseasoned 

honey producer in 

the Algarve. 

A meeting with scientifically 

minded Jose Manuel Marreiros 

Chumbinho is a real treat. In an age 

when bees are having worldwide 

problems, it is encouraging to find 

a successful beekeeper sensitive to 

environmental issues. He carefully 

places his beehives in pesticidefree 

areas, where bees remain 

productive, unharmed by pollutants. 

This retired veterinarian not 

only makes honey and related 

products, but he presents them 

with a missionary zeal, asking 

people to taste each of his different 

varieties in a prescribed order with 

specialty flavors such as carob, 

pennyroyal, and a bitter evergreen 

plant. His small but impressive 

operation includes creating his own 

honeycomb wax foundations for 

the bees to build upon, as well as 

beeswax candles. It is fun to meet 

up with him again at the large, lively 

Loule farmers’ market, where his 

wares are appreciated both by locals 

and travelers from afar. 


19 

QUIRKY HONEY FACTS: 

Honey has a shelf life that does not expire. 

Making honey is not a breeze for the bees. These essential 

pollinators visit more than 2-million flowers to make one 

pound of honey! 

Honeybees communicate with each other through a “wiggle 

dance” language imparting geographic knowledge.

Sweets 

Sweets take other forms in Portugal, 

with the mouthwatering pastel de 

nata, a custard tart, which may be 

Portugal’s best-loved pastry with 

Sintra’s pillow-shaped travesseiros 

a close second. Other sweets 

may feature the “three delights” 

in combinations of compressed 

figs, crushed almonds, and carob, 

at times blended and shaped 

into flowers and hearts called 

queijo de figo. 

Figs, known as “the people’s fruit,” 

have 52 species in the Algarve. Tasty 

jams are made from them at the 

Companhia das Culturas, an inn 

owned by a savvy anthropologist and 

artist, Tina Monteiro. She considers 

crops as cultures and creates 

appealing, minimalist installations 

from hanging seeds, pods, and 

peppers, which are strung together 

in this agritourism site, growing and 

serving fresh fruits such as flavorful 

pomegranates. 

Carob pods are more than 

ingredients for a delicious rice and 

mushroom dish cooked by their 

creative young chef, Pedro, who 

speaks about its desirable taste 

being a combination or middle flavor 

between chocolate and roasted 

coffee, used in both sweet and 

savory cuisine. “There is mild weather 

here and there is a consciousness of 

nature connected to the culture of 

man. Our concept is a celebration of 

the land and the eco-system,” says 

Tina, in a country where folktales are 

passed along orally with agricultural 

practices and ancestral knowledge.

Almonds 

One such tale speaks of almonds, a 

traditional crop eaten raw, roasted, 

in cakes, marzipan, and almond 

pastries of all varieties. The legend 

of the almond trees with their 

lovely white blossoms is found 

throughout Portugal. It tells of an 

Arab prince who attempts to please 

his bride (from northern Europe) 

who misses snow. The prince 

plants groves of almond trees to 

create orchards filled with white 

blossoms, reminiscent of snow. 

Today almonds are incorporated 

into annual cycles of celebration and 

festivities in confections for Easter 

(folares, a special bread with boiled 

eggs embedded in it, representing 

rebirth). Almonds are also part of the 

“three delights” at farmers’ markets. 


21 

For those interested in more 

experiences capturing the tastes of 

Portugal, you can wander through 

orchards at rural hotels such as 

Horta da Mouro, visit an olive oil 

museum, or curl up by a crackling 

fire with the appealing and wellresearched 

book, Mediterranean 

Algarve: Tradition, Produce, and 

Cuisine by Maria Manuel Valago. 

Returning home with memories 

of salty and sweet tastes may also 

be accompanied by a stash of cork 

canisters filled with gourmet salt. 

After all, Pythagoras reminds us, “Salt 

is born of the purest of parents: the 

sun and the sea.”

PHILIP SCOTT

A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY 


23 

VIETNAM WAS THE FIRST COUNTRY 

WHERE I DISCOVERED MY LOVE OF TRAVEL 

PHOTOGRAPHY. SINCE THIS TRIP I HAVE 

CAPTURED PICTURES IN MANY COUNTRIES, 

SEEKING OUT AUTHENTIC MOMENTS 

WHEREVER I VISIT. 

WEBSITE: PHILIPSCOTTPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK 

INSTAGRAM: @PHILIPSCOTTPHOTOGRAPHY 

I was captivated by the verdant 

green, tiered paddy fields. An 

image I saw online not dissimilar 

to this sparked my desire to visit 

Vietnam in the first place. 

/22 VIETNAM

Whilst on our cruise in Ha Long Bay we were 

kept fully stocked up with drinks and snacks 

by the floating vendors making regular visits.


25 

Workers harvesting vegetables in the fields 

in small villages during our motorbike ride 

through the Hagiang Loop.

Grandpa watches over his granddaughter 

whilst weaving enormous baskets.


27 

Serious sized bundles of produce being 

transported uphill

Punters guided groups in bamboo boats to 

the secret caves in Ha Long Bay.


29 

Makeshift baby carrier!

It was refreshing to see fruit and veg stalls in 

Hanoi with loose produce, vibrant in color, 

spilling out into the streets.


31 

These three little boys in Hagiang were 

very chuffed with their poultry pals and 

were keen to have their photo taken 

with their pets.

Children are present at all times, constantly 

with their parents whilst they try to achieve 

daily tasks such as feeding animals and 

harvesting crops.


33 

A local worker in Ho Chi Minh stops for a 

well earned break on what looks like not a 

particularly comfy seat.


SOLOMON 

ISLANDS 

/34 

ISLANDS 

LOST IN 

TIME 

BY ANDREW MARSHALL 

From coral atolls encircling beautiful 

lagoons, to mountainous landmasses of 

pristine rainforest, the 992 islands of the 

Solomons offer a rare chance to get offthe-beaten 

path and uncover a pristine 

archipelago in its raw and natural state. 

Although known by keen divers for its 

abundance of wreck sites, these islands 

offer so much more. You can visit intact 

cultures, observe the abundant birdlife, 

and practice “pidgin” English with smiling 

locals. These are islands adrift in time, 

where villagers still cling to lifestyles 

that have barely changed for centuries 

and traditional practices such as shark 

calling, the making of shell money, and 

sacred skull shrines from the days of 

headhunting can still be seen today. 

This is travel straight from the pages of 

National Geographic magazine. 

Honiara, on the island of Guadalcanal is 

the hub and gateway to the Solomons 

and provides an excellent base for further 

exploration. I check in at the Heritage 

Park Hotel Honiara, and while chatting 

one evening to other travelers, I hear of 

an interesting day trip to the nearby island 

of Savo, situated across the oily smooth 

waters of Iron Bottom Sound, a 16 km 

channel filled with the sunken wrecks of 

dozens of WWII ships. 

The following day, I agree on a set price 

for the day trip with Sam the boatman, 

which would include a circular route 

around the island with stops. Then we are 

off, speeding towards the infamous laying 

fields of the megapodes. The megapode 

bird, about the size of a chicken, 

ingeniously makes use of Savo’s thermal 

volcanic sands to incubate its eggs. 

Everyday hundreds of megapodes lay 

their eggs, and every day the villagers dig 

them up, thank God for the free bounty 

and carry them off to nearby volcanic hot 

springs to cook them. 

On this particular morning the ‘laying 

fields’ of Agatopa village are literally 

bristling with the posteriors of villagers, 

who, with heads deep in the sand, are 

digging up the morning’s harvest of eggs.


35 

The Solomon Islands are rich with 

natural beauty, WWII history, superb 

dive sites and intact cultural traditions. 

Much of Savo is a mass of volcanic 

mountains and the climb to the single 

crater on the top of the range provides 

a temptation hard to resist. Weary and 

bedraggled, I board the boat back to 

Honiara, and stagger into the local Yacht 

Club in the quest for an icy cold beer. 

From Honiara I catch a light plane 

(60-minute flight) to Seghe to access one 

of the Solomon’s main attractions - the 

spectacular Marovo Lagoon. Containing 

around 400 islands, the Marovo Lagoon 

is the largest saltwater lagoon in the 

world encompassing 700 square km 

and is protected by a double barrier 

reef system. During the 90s, several 

eco-lodges were established across 

the length of the lagoon to promote 

eco-tourism and to help prevent 

devastation by logging. 

Today it is possible to island hop from 

one lodge to the next using motorized 

dugout canoes. Lodge hosts are keen to 

share their traditional village life, ancient 

taboo sites, WWII wrecks, deserted 

beaches and fabulous coral gardens. 

Many of the eco-lodges are built in 

traditional style using local materials and 

situated next to palm-fringed white sandy 

beaches. Fabulous snorkelling and diving 

can be right on your doorstep with soft 

and hard corals, giant clams and a zillion 

colorful fish.

From Seghe, a 18km journey across 

the lagoon by motorized canoe and 

I arrive at my tropical home for a 

few days – the Uepi Island Resort 

situated on remote Uepi Island. Uepi 

is a classic raised barrier reef island, 

covered in impressive rainforest, 

outlined by fringing reef and sandy 

beach; flanked by the warm lagoon 

waters on one side, and the oceanic 

depths (2000m) of “The Slot”, a deep 

marine abyss, on the other. Uepi 

Island is approximately 2.5 km long 

and 300 meters wide, mostly covered 

with tropical rainforest interspersed 

with walking tracks. 

The Uepi Island Resort offers a range 

of comfortable garden and beach 

front bungalow accommodation 

generously spaced amongst colorful 

tropical gardens. Delicious meals 

based around fresh local seafood 

and organically grown fruits 

and vegetables are prepared by 

talented chefs. In addition to the 

fabulous snorkelling and diving (you 

can learn to dive here), a range 

of other activities are available 

including kayaking excursions, 

jungle trips, fishing trips and the 

coconut crab walk. 

From my beach front bungalow at 

dusk, I observe fishermen still trolling 

lines from their slender canoes 

between the dozens of islands that 

sprawl out to the horizon. Scenes 

such as this must have inspired 

novelist James Michener in his 

Pulitzer Prize winning book Tales 

from the South Pacific to describe 

the Marovo Lagoon, as ‘the eighth 

wonder of the world’. The Uepi 

Island Resort is the most luxurious 

of Marovo’s eco-lodges, but another 

one to consider is the Matikuri 

Eco Lodge on the western arc 

of the lagoon. 

From the Marovo Lagoon, I return 

to Honiara and take a short flight 

to Malaita, to visit the ‘wane i asi’ or 

‘salt-water people.’ As if 992 islands 

weren’t enough in the Solomon 

Islands, villagers are still creating 

more in the Lau Lagoon (off the 

island’s north-east coast), where 

islanders cling to age-old traditions. 

Originally forced into the shallow 

waters of the lagoon by fierce 

headhunting warfare, the salt-water 

people have built more than one 

hundred islands scattered along the 

32 km length of the lagoon. Nobody 

knows exactly when the first artificial 

island was formed, but legend has 

it, that a bushman fishing in the 

lagoon built a cairn of rocks on which 

to place his lunch, and from these 

humble beginnings sprung the island 

world of the salt-water people. 

It’s a typically clear morning on 

the Lau Lagoon, as a cool offshore 

breeze ripples the turquoise waters 

fanning wavelets towards the outer 

reef. 40-year-old Stephen Yeo sits 

on the front step of his simple 

thatched kitchen hut and rolls some 

dark tobacco in a page torn from 

an exercise book. “I first learned to 

build islands from my father,” he 

says, raising a smoldering twig from 

a nearby fire to light his cigarette. In 

a puff of smoke, he nods towards the 

tools of his trade; a dugout canoe, 

a long metal bar, a diving mask and 

plenty of muscle. 

Not surprisingly, life on an artificial 

island is cramped affair given that


37 

every square meter is gained with 

back breaking work. Leaf houses built 

almost entirely out of the coconut 

palm stand side-by-side almost one 

on top of the next. There seems little 

room for privacy, but then on an 

island this size everyone is related, 

and everyone is someone’s cousin or 

brother’s brother. 

With an islander’s agility Stephen 

boards his dugout directly from his 

house and waves goodbye to his 

wife Mary. He is looking for large 

foundation stones for the new 

island’s outer walls, and the floor of 

the shallow lagoon is paved with the 

perfect material; dense coral rock 

that has lain there for centuries. 

Island building is often a community 

event, involving the wisdom and 

supervision of the elders, the bulk 

labor efforts of the women and the 

muscle of the young men. But if a 

villager needs an island building and 

has the means, he can employ the 

services of men like Stephen to do 

the hard work for him. Payment can 

be made in many forms of currency, 

from live pigs, dolphin’s teeth 

and shell money to the preferred 

Solomon dollar. 

Standing shoulder deep in water, 

Stephen peers down through his 

mask at a suitable slab of coral. 

With explosive downward thrusts 

he crashes the sharp point of his 

iron bar into the rock to prise it into 

blocks. Then, with the strength of a 

weightlifter he wrestles a 30-chunk of 

coral to the surface and hauls it into 

his waiting canoe. Within half an hour 

he has a full load. 

At this stage, the new island is little 

more than a pile of rocks on the floor 

of the lagoon. To this Stephen adds 

his latest load, being careful to place 

each stone in its correct position. As 

the wall breaks the surface, a new 

island is born. The corners of an 

island are always built first, followed 

THE MAROVO 

LAGOON IS 

THE LARGEST 

SALTWATER 

LAGOON IN 

THE WORLD 

ENCOMPASSING 

700 SQ KM AND IS 

PROTECTED BY A 

DOUBLE BARRIER 

REEF SYSTEM.

y the walls, wide at the base and 

rising over two meters to clear the 

highest spring tides. Rocks are then 

tossed into the center and brittle 

branch coral will be crushed to fill 

in the gaps. It is long back breaking 

work. There is no machinery used, 

and the artificial islands have only 

ever been built by human toil. 

Although the salt-water people 

create their own lands, they also own 

lands on the mainland for gardening. 

Stephen’s wife Mary spends her 

day working in the family gardens, 

and the demands of a growing 

population means she has to trek 

one hour into the hills to reach her 

plots. In the meager soils wrested 

from the grips of the rainforest, she 

grows taro, sweet potatoes, yams 

and cassava. Fish caught in the 

lagoon supplements the diet and 

any surplus is sold and traded at the 

local bush markets. 

The bush markets have long 

maintained an important link 

between the salt-water people and 

the ‘bush people’ who populate the 

hills of Malaita. Every week on market 

day the islanders come ashore and 

climb the hills to trade produce with 

the bush people. In the old times the 

traditional currency of ‘shell money’ 

would have changed hands. These 

days, shell money is largely reserved 

for paying ‘bride price’, for the 

purchase of land or island building 

labor, or to smooth the way when an 

insult has been inadvertently given or 

a taboo transgressed. 

Most artificial islands are built no 

more than a few hundred meters 

from the mainland and are free of 

malarial mosquitoes that plague the 

coast. In this space between the saltwater 

people’s water world and the 

humid confines of the coast, there’s 

always a constant stream of traffic. 

Schoolgirls wade through the high 

tide; books held high above their 

heads, a boy heads off in his dugout 

to collect firewood on the mainland 

and islanders return from their 

gardens laden with taro and cassava. 

Darkness begins to fall on the 

artificial islands, and under the 

warm glow of kerosene lanterns 

and firelight, villagers relax on their 

verandas chewing betel nut and 

smoking tobacco. As the moon casts 

a trail of silvery light, the dozens of 

artificial islands that sprawl out to 

the horizon appear suspended, like 

stepping-stones across the heavens. 

It’s the end of another perfect day in 

the Solomon Islands.


39 

ANCIENT SCULPTURES AT MBICHE VILLAGE, MAROVO LAGOON


GUATEMALA 

A JOURNEY TO TIKAL 

BY MATTHEW SCHUELLER 

I thought the most impressive 

Maya site was Chichenitza, that is of 

course, until I stepped foot in front 

of the ancient wonders of Tikal. 

Riding in the back of a small, sunstained 

bus, smelling of cigarettes 

and positioned directly under 

a vent just barely pushing out 

enough cool air, I let out a sigh as I 

watched the sun rise over passing 

fields of corn. It was my first time 

crossing the border from Belize to 

Guatemala, and I honestly didn’t 

know what to expect. Over the last 

24 hours resting at a small resort 

in San Ignacio, I thought about the 

pending early-morning journey to 

Tikal. I heard talk about protests 

that were occurring just 20 minutes 

away at the border. Protests aren’t 

uncommon in the region, but the 

notion of civil unrest has the power 

to shut down the border, or at the 

very least make it unwise to pass 

through the only highway into 

Guatemala from Belize. 

Sure, you can fly into Flores, 

Guatemala to get yourself to Tikal, 

but when already making the trek 

through Belize, one of the greatest 

surprises is that the Maya ruins 

of Guatemala really aren’t that far 

away! After our tour of Belize’s 

coastline, and diving to see as 

much colorful sealife as possible, 

we made our way into the Belizian 

jungles and the temptation to see 

such an architectural and cultural 

marvel brought us here, 20 minutes 

from the border. 

/40

Guatemala and Belize have a long 

history of border disputes. By all 

accounts, the relationship between 

the two countries is strained. We 

realized while visiting just how 

important it is to be aware of the 

political unrest in the region prior to 

traveling, to be culturally sensitive, 

respectful, and understanding of 

any possible delays. As tourism 

is one of the main drivers of the 

economy in the region, both sides 

wholeheartedly agree that despite 

the conflict, keeping tourism safe and 

accessible is a top priority. 


41 

I THOUGHT THE 

MOST IMPRESSIVE 

MAYA SITE WAS 

CHICHENITZA, THAT 

IS OF COURSE, UN- 

TIL I STEPPED FOOT 

IN FRONT OF THE 

ANCIENT WONDERS 

OF TIKAL 

Parking just short of the 

demilitarization-zone, we 

disembarked our bus and walked 

between several gates towards the 

customs office. Lucky for us, getting 

up early paid off with virtually no line 

at the border. The entire process 

to pay our customs fees took only 

about 15 minutes, and at the end 

our passports were rewarded with 

new stamps. Piling into another small 

bus, we traveled about two hours to 

the entrance of Tikal. I could feel the 

thick jungle air and hear the tropical 

birds chime in as we approached. 

This by far felt worlds away from 

coastal Belize. 

Setting out by foot down a wide 

path through giant palms and 

vine-covered strangler-figs, I only 

stopped momentarily to watch a 

group of spider monkeys swing 

from tree to tree. I was already 

amazed by the variety of wildlife in 

Tikal’s lush rainforest. The UNESCO 

World Heritage Site is home to 

over 100 species of mammals, 

including over 60 species of bats. 

From pumas, ocelots, and jaguars, 

to howler monkeys, toucans and 

colorful butterflies. Birdwatchers 

are delighted by the over 330 avian 

species that inhabit the area. 

Then as if out of nowhere, I took a 

turn through the forest to find the 

first enormous Maya temple on our 

path. Towering above the trees and 

bordered with ornate carvings, I 

was stunned by how complex and 

complete the architecture appeared

to be. Due to the Spanish conquests 

from centuries prior, most Maya 

sites throughout the Yucatan are 

discovered as piles of rubble, 

but some of Tikal’s most prized 

buildings were miraculously spared 

by their remoteness deep within 

the rainforest. As one of the largest 

and most important Maya cities, 

Tikal boasts an extensive network 

of temples, pyramids, palaces, and 

ceremonial complexes. The site 

covers over 200 square miles, with 

only a fraction unearthed and open 

to the public. It is still very much an 

active archaeological site, with many 

working day and night to uncover 

and preserve the history of the 

ancient city. 

The Great Plaza stands as the heart 

of Tikal, surrounded by imposing 

structures like the Temple of the 

Great Jaguar and the Temple of 

the Mask. Wiping away a few beads 

of sweat, I took the opportunity to 

scale the ancient structures and 

admire the breathtaking panoramic 

views of the jungle canopy. Only 

from the top of the pyramids can 

you truly appreciate the scale and 

sophistication of Maya architecture. 

Continuing my hike through the 

rainforest, I gazed in amazement 

at the hilly jungle. Mound after 

mound of tree-covered hills 

surrounded my path. But, much 

to my surprise, I began to notice 

the edges of several large square 

boulders peeking out from the 

corners of each hill. Afterall, the 

Nature Reserve is technically 

composed of incredibly flat terrain. 

What I thought to be hills in the 

jungle were not natural elevation 

changes at all, but unearthed Maya 

structures hidden by the forest 

and centuries of erosion. There’s 

still so many treasures to discover 

in Tikal, which made my visit all the 

more mind-boggling as I wandered 

through the forest. 

Arriving at Temple IV, the tallest 

structure of the ancient city, I 

climbed to the top to take in the 

most sought-after view overlooking 

Temples I, II, and III. A troop of 

howler monkeys swung from the 

canopy to a nearby tree below, and

ANCIENT MARVELS UNCOVERED: AMID THE LUSH 

RAINFOREST OF TIKAL, THE EXPLORER ENCOUNTERS 

TOWERING MAYA TEMPLES, REVEALING THE COMPLEXITY 

AND GRANDEUR OF ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE. 


43 

I took a seat to watch as the sun 

drew closer to the horizon. After my 

long trek through the reserve and 

ascending up many temple stairs, 

I was more excited than ever for 

some handmade corn tortillas and 

an ice-cold Pacifico. Enroute back 

to the park entrance, I stopped at 

the Jaguar Inn Restaurant for a late 

lunch, which felt like a huge reward 

for a day full of exploration. 

Visiting Tikal can be a huge 

undertaking, but I believe it’s well 

worth the effort to see one of the 

most underrated and stunning sites 

of the world. I learned that the best 

things to consider when planning 

a visit is to first book a guided tour 

to gain a deeper understanding 

of Tikal’s history. Second, wear 

comfortable footwear as there tends 

to be a lot of walking and climbing 

on uneven terrain. And lastly, plan 

your visit to coincide with the early 

morning or late afternoon in order 

to avoid crowds and the sometimes 

intense midday heat. A visit to Tikal is 

a journey through time, and it’s one 

I’ll surely never forget.

BOTSWANA 

/44

AFRICA 

JACK’S CAMP 


45 

BY ALLISON FOAT 

At first glance, the Makgadikgadi 

salt pans may appear a little 

underwhelming, a seemingly lifeless 

sprawl that stretches before you 

like a primordial world without end. 

But once your urban self begins 

to decompress and your spirit is 

brought to heel, an illuminating shift 

takes place and you see it for what 

it truly is - one of the most beguiling 

wild places on earth. 

It was the late Jack Bousfield, 

a trailblazing hunter-turnedconservationist 

who clocked the 

Makgadikgadi’s raw magnificence 

and succinctly declared it to be ‘the 

perfect nothing.’ Its remoteness 

resonated deeply and swift to 

identify the destination potential, 

he began curating expeditions 

and welcoming the curious to a 

no-frills situation in the middle of 

nowhere. The year was 1962 and 

that unsophisticated set up marked 

the first iteration of legendary 

Jack’s Camp. Suffice to say dubious 

naysayers were silenced, seduced 

by the divine isolation and an 

irresistible promise of adventure. 

The Jack’s Camp backstory is well 

documented and not without 

tragedy, which struck when Jack 

lost his life in a plane crash, his 

seventh and the one that proved 

fatal. His son Ralph, who survived 

the accident, decided to pursue 

his father’s dream to create a 

full service safari camp in the 

Makgadikgadi. He picked up the 

baton and ran with it and in 1992 

Jack’s Camp version two was born, 

settled in the exact same spot on 

the north side of the Ntwetwe Pan 

in a one million acre private reserve. 

It was and still is, a lavish oasis 

celebrated for its alluring locale, 

timeless elegance and high caliber 

guiding. Whatever your raison 

d’être, Jack’s is a coveted sojourn for 

nature enthusiasts, eco-conscious 

travelers and anyone simply seeking 

immersion in a microcosm of 

untrammeled Africa. 

Three decades and one pandemic 

later and Ralph felt it was time 

for a thorough rebuild, and the 

global travel ban presented an 

unexpected opportunity to do so. 

Jack’s reopened in 2021, a plush reimagining 

with a significantly more 

sybaritic offering under canvas. 

At 270 square meters, the tents 

stand almost triple the size of their 

forerunners, ensconced between 

thickets and aerial palms, peaceful 

and private. Raised high off the 

ground in a rectangular shape, each 

suite– there are seven twin and two 

doubles- comprises three rooms, 

not unlike a nomadic Bedouin tent 

arrangement, with the walls and 

ceiling bedecked and draped in 

luxuriant textiles. When you first 

unzip your ‘door’ and step into the 

coolness, a small hallway greets 

you, opening into an expansive 

lounge that in turn leads to the 

IT IS ARID AND 

UNFORGIVING 

FOR MOST OF THE 

YEAR BUT ONCE 

THE SEASONAL 

RAINS BEGIN TO 

FALL... THE LAND 

IS TRANSFORMED 

main bedroom and bathroom. 

Mesh netting protects the various 

entrances to deter unwanted 

crawling visitors, transparent so that 

you can always have eyes on the 

view. A wooden deck, complete with 

daybeds that swing like hammocks 

and your own plunge pool, runs all 

the way round culminating in an 

outdoor shower under the trees. 

The main bedroom has two four 

poster double beds hung with 

crisp, white mosquito nets and with 

gratifying air cooling systems. In 

one corner a writing desk invites a 

bout of journaling while in the other 

stands a wood-burning fireplace, 

a wonderful addition guaranteed 

to ramp up the cozy factor come

the winter months. The bathroom 

completes the charm, with marble 

and brass vanities, a pull-chain 

toilet and a chaise lounge. The 

most recent sumptuous addition 

is Jack’s Private Villa that opened in 

March 2024. Set apart from main 

camp it is an exclusive- use, multiroom 

enclave entirely separate and 

accommodating up to twelve guests, 

with two swimming pools, a private 

chef, and expert guides on call. 

The décor and design throughout 

camp is as ravishing as ever, true to 

the original look and feel. Expect an 

exotic conflation of North African, 

Arabian and post-colonial campaign 

safari influences, with a dash of the 

eclectic. Think off-kilter lampshades 

with beaded trim, ostrich feathers 

spilling out of brass vases and red 

velvet couches, a sassy boudoir 

touch, all complemented by a 

coalition of colors that range 

between earthy tones and vibrant 

brights. The Mess tent creates the 

atmospheric first impression, where 

for weary arrivals are welcomed 

with heartfelt warmth by a top 

notch team. This reception area 

drips in vintage accouterments 

and other assets such as the wellstocked 

library and a Natural History 

Museum, a brimming trove of found 

treasures, artifacts and memorabilia, 

displayed in glass cabinets. Flanking 

this area on one side is a billiard 

room with an honesty bar and 

reading nooks, and on opposite 

side is the dining room anchored by 

a long table for communal meals. 

The cuisine at Jack’s is superb, with 

menus devised by an innovative 

kitchen crew. High tea is served in 

an enchanting Persian tea tent. A 

low table forms the centerpiece, 

laden with cucumber sandwiches, 

pastries and cakes, fresh fruit, jugs 

of homemade lemonade, flasks of 

coffee and antique silver pots of 

Earl Grey. A russet mass of kilims 

and rugs is underfoot while piles of 

come-hither pillows, ottomans and 

hand carved African palaver chairs 

line the perimeter. This is safari 

decadence at its best and yours 

to revel in, every day just before 

afternoon game drive. 

Lying southeast of Okavango Delta, 

the Makgadikgadi which means 

‘vast, lifeless land’ in the local 

Tswana language, is made up of 

three enormous pans - the Sua, 

the Ntwetwe and the Nxai- the 

bleached remnant of an ancient 

super lake that in its entirety covers 

an area the size of Switzerland. It is 

arid and unforgiving for most of the 

year but once the seasonal rains 

begin to fall between November and


47 

March, the cracked clay is overtaken 

by pools and lagoons and the land 

is transformed. It’s the onset of the 

season of plenty and the floodplains 

erupt with life as herds and flocks 

return in their droves to feast on 

a buffet of nourishing grasses. 

Following their annual migration 

route towards the Boteti River, 

thousands of zebra and wildebeest 

descend on the area, pausing for 

several months to drop and nurture 

their young before continuing on 

their way. Opportunistic predators 

that lurk inevitably include lion, 

brown hyena and vultures, while 

other species spotted year round 

are aardwolf, porcupine, bat-eared 

fox, honey badger and scrub 

hare. The more elusive cheetah 

and leopard are more occasional 

sightings, in contrast to the 

hundreds of birds that swoop in 

from all corners of the continent 

to join the congregation. From 

flamboyances of Greater and Lesser 

Flamingos to pelicans, spoonbills, 

storks and countless species, the 

watering holes are flush with their 

interactions and chatter. 

Not all safaris however are created 

equal and having an excellent 

guide is the game-changer. These 

are scouts with superpowers, the 

terrain-savvy men and women 

of the bush who shepherd you 

throughout your stay, going above 

and beyond to ensure you leave 

with priceless memories. The guides 

at Jack’s and all of Unchartered 

Africa’s camps, benchmark against 

the very best which happens to be 

the award winning Ralph Bousfield 

and Super Sande – both recognized 

as among the finest in the field. 

Ralph, who has trained most of the 

trackers, was mentored first by his 

father and then by Cobra Keipeile, a 

Bushman from the Shuakhwe clan 

in central Botswana who was part 

of the team that helped build the 

first Jack’s in 1962 and whom Ralph 

has known since he was a boy. If 

the planets align you may well meet 

Cobra in camp and have him join 

the outing with the Bushmen – a 

coveted encounter. 

Summers in the Makgadikgadi 

are intense. In the heat of the day 

anything that requires minimal 

effort takes preference such as 

siestas on repeat, game gazing from 

a deckchair or slipping beneath 

the icy waters of the lap pool in the 

gorgeously appointed pavilion. As 

with game drives, group activities 

are booked in the early morning 

or late afternoon when its cooler, 

and guests can choose from horse 

riding, quad biking and sleep-outs

on the pan, helicopter flips and 

bird watching. A high point is the 

educational wisdom walk led by 

members of the Ju’/haonsi, a San 

tribe with whom Unchartered 

Africa has cultivated an invaluable 

relationship over the decades. An 

enriching few hours is spent in their 

company listening to them chat 

animatedly in clicks- interpreted by 

a guide - about the medicinal and 

nutritional benefits of various plants 

and trees, hunting techniques and 

fire making and they round off the 

excursion with a traditional dance. 

A trip to the habituated meerkat 

colony is also a joy. Watched over by 

dedicated keepers, these endearing 

little creatures are well accustomed 

to the presence of humans and 

being able to observe them at 

such close quarters is one for the 

bucket list. Plus, not much can top 

the feeling of having one of them 

scamper up your back to use the 

top of your head as a vantage point! 

After dark, the camp is utterly 

magical with lanterns lining 

the pathways and a warm glow 

emanating from within. Above, the 

constellations glitter and as night 

falls, nocturnal sounds are carried 

on the balmy breeze. 

Jack’s is expertly managed by 

a tight team that consistently 

demonstrate a fierce commitment 

to protect this great environment 

through the power of bush tourism. 

All this while joining hands with 

local communities, government 

and organizations to preserve 

San culture, biodiversity and 

fragile habitats. 

JACK’S CAMP IS 

AN INVITATION TO 

EXPERIENCE A 

DESERT KINGDOM 

THAT DELIVERS ON 

THE UNEXPECTED 

IN FAR REACHING 

WAYS. IT IS THE 

PERFECT EVERY- 

THING.


49 

naturalselection.travel


51 

AFRICA 

DUKE’S EAST 

A thirty minute flight from the 

nuanced nothingness of Botswana’s 

Makgadikgadi lies the Okavango 

Delta, one of the true wonders of 

the world and the planet’s 1,000th 

World Heritage site. It is here, to the 

slight north of the Vumbura and 

Duba Plains that you find Duke’s 

East, the region’s most recent 

addition to the Unchartered Africa 

fold and a bonsai version of Jack’s 

Camp, within a sprawling 220,000 

hectare concession. 

Duke’s East is an exercise in 

intimacy with only four suites under 

canvas which makes it ideal for 

exclusive-use groups. Choose from 

twin rooms, a double or the family 

unit, the latter with its own plunge 

pool, and hypnotic views across a 

small lagoon with a proliferation of 

waterbirds that cements the camp 

as a twitcher’s paradise. Ralph 

Bousfield’s flair for storied objét 

compilation reigns throughout, 

exhibited in the way he has 

arranged artifacts and memorabilia 

across all spaces, the seductive 

décor faithfully reflecting the original 

design concept at Jack’s. It is an 

eclectic but judicious mélange of 

North African, Arabian and postcolonial 

1940s campaign safari style. 

As you unzip the mesh flap of 

your tent ‘door’ and step into the 

delicious coolness of the loungecome-bedroom 

you feel instantly at 

home. The small sitting room with 

sofas and easy chairs, ottomans, 

bureaux and writing nooks 

culminate in the characteristic 

elevated four-poster double beds. 

Here and elsewhere, tent walls and 

ceilings are swathed in textured 

fabrics to create a soft, sumptuous 

look. Beyond the sleeping area, the 

bathroom zip opens onto a walkway 

that in turns leads to an outdoor 

shower under the trees, the al 

fresco ablutions of dreams. Out 

front, an expansive teak wooden 

deck furnished with chaise lounges, 

overlooks the channel where 

cormorants on partially submerged 

logs preen and sun gaze with wings 

spread wide, while the soul -stirring 

call of the fish eagle floats on 

the breeze. 

The true charm of Duke’s East, 

located a stone’s throw from Duke’s, 

its slighter larger sister camp, lies 

in its extraordinary setting. Fronted 

by an expansive aqua landscape 

and spectacular vistas, the property 

is encircled by a luxuriant forest, 

a verdant respite in the summer 

months. The canopied path to the 

reception is an enchanting run-up 

to the mess tent that mimics Jack’s 

with the divinely decadent high 

tea tent, announced by weighty 

paisley-print drapes cinched with 

red velvet tiebacks, and the dining 

hall and bar- lounge with its deep 

couches and antique drinks chest. 

There are numerous spots to spend 

an afternoon siesta, tranquilized 

AN ECLECTIC 

BUT JUDICIOUS 

MÉLANGE OF 

NORTH AFRICAN, 

ARABIAN, AND 

POST-COLONIAL 

1940S CAMPAIGN 

SAFARI STYLE

y the heat and the wilderness 

soundscape. As long as the weather 

plays along, most meals are relished 

outside at a long table under 

two ancient jackal berries, where 

conversations between guides and 

guests are inspiring and informative, 

the perfect finale to your day. 

Green season on the Delta is 

an eruption of new life. From 

elephant families of forty or more, 

to countless wildebeest and zebra, 

and giraffe towers numbering 

close to twenty, all congregate in 

their droves to take advantage 

of the flourishing savannah. This 

biodiverse territory with its seasonal 

floodplains and permanent 

waterways supports everything from 

buffalo to big cats and wild dogs 

and boasts phenomenal birdlife. 

Again, trackers like Glynn are the 

safari wizards, adept at ferreting out 

apex sightings yet without missing 

the oft-overlooked Small Five. From 

these remarkable encounters on 

land, to witnessing a black-winged 

pratincole murmuration swirl across 

a dusky pink sky, and miniaturefrog-spotting 

as you glide across the 

glassy shallows in a mokoro dugout 

with Kenneth, an exceptionally 

knowledgeable Poler with a 

deep passion for the Delta. Each 

experience is thoughtfully curated 

by your guide, who takes your 

personal preferences into account 

at every turn. 

A safari at Duke’s East is an 

opportunity to re-root yourself 

in nature and, as Ralph Bousfield 

once said, you get what you never 

knew you wanted.


53 

naturalselection.travel/camps/dukes-east/

54 

ROTI 

INDONESIA 

BY ANDREW MARSHALL 

So far in his life, 49-year-old Alexander 

Haninuna has climbed the three trees 

in his backyard more times than he can 

remember. Like most Rotinese men, 

he is an expert climber and has been 

scampering up and down these trees 

since a teenager. For the inhabitants of 

this small dry island south-west of Timor, 

the lontar is no ordinary tree. The lontar 

palm (Borassus flabellifer or sugar palm) 

is one of the earth’s most efficient sugar 

producing plants. Growing up to 30 

meters, this drought-resistant palm is the 

‘tree of life’ and guarantee against famine 

for the people of Roti (also spelt Rote). 

It is thought that Roti vulnerable to 

erosion, became infertile hundreds of 

years ago. Gradually Roti’s inhabitants 

have learned to use the tens of 

thousands of lontar palms that colonized 

their soil-depleted environment, thereby 

reverting from an agricultural based 

society to one of gatherers. There is an 

unusual degree of reliance on the lontar 

palm for food, shelter and a bewildering 

array of other products. The sweet freshly 

tapped lontar juice known as tuak manis 

is the first nutrition that a newly born 

Rotinese child receives, even before its 

mother’s breast milk. And when that child 

had lived out its life and dies, it will be 

buried in a coffin constructed from the 

hollowed out trunk of the palm.

ON AN ISLAND 

IN THE SOUTH 

OF INDONESIA, 

THE PALM TREES 

KNOWN AS LONTAR 

SHAPE THE LIFE OF 

THE ISLANDERS 


55

It was 4.30pm when Alexander 

roused himself from an afternoon 

sleep and prepared for work. I had 

agreed to meet him at this hour, 

and as I entered his home beams 

of slatted light streaked through the 

walling of stripped lontar leafstalk. 

He buckled up his climbing belt, 

from which an assortment of palm 

tapping tools hung in woven lontar 

leaf sheaths. To his belt he clipped a 

basket called a haik, fashioned from 

the fan of the lontar leaf. In this he 

would collect the tuak manis from his 

three lontar palms. 

With the assurance of one who has 

done the job countless times before, 

Alexander stepped onto his first 

palm that sways high over our heads 

some 30 meters above. His leathery 

feet grasped the footholds cut into 

the lontar’s fibrous trunk and in a 

matter of seconds his wiry frame was 

pushing through the crown’s thick 

barricade of leaf stalks. 

The lontar palm blossoms twice 

a year. Two or three lontar palms 

can support a family with juice and 

related products when other food 

is scarce or unavailable. Because of 

the lontar, Roti and nearby Savu are 

the only islands in the area that do 

not experience the annual period of 

hunger (lapar biasa). Climbing and 

tapping the lontar is strictly a male 

activity. Boys begin by practicing 

on shorter palms at an early age. 

From the age of fifteen if they climb 

and work hard, they win not only 

the respect of their family and 

community, but also the adoration of 

the local girls. 

When the end of the dry season 

nears (September - October) and 

the palm is at its peak of sugar 

production, most villagers hasten to 

get the harvest in quick before the 

rains. Some climbers sleep beneath 

their palms, and will start work as 

early as one o’clock in the morning 

to climb and process up to 30 trees.

Family members run from the palms 

to the kitchens where the wives will 

cook for as many hours as the men 

climb. The lontar palm supplies 

much more than sustenance for the 

Rotinese. As I departed the Haninuna 

household, my astonishment 

over ‘the tree of a thousand uses’ 

continued. I observed its utilization 

in an extensive array of everyday 

products everywhere I looked. 

In addition to the haik used for 

collecting tuak manis, the broad 

lontar leaf is woven into mats, betel 

nut boxes, containers for watering 

the garden, trays for winnowing rice, 

fans, umbrellas, belts, knife-sheaths, 

thatch for roofing houses, cigarette 

papers and even handbags for 

transporting chickens to market! The 

leaves are never wasted, for example 

when a house is re-thatched every 

4-5 years; the old leaf thatching is 

burnt on the garden to fertilize it. 

The Rotinese also plait a distinctive 

hat, the ti’i langga out of the leaf. 

Inspired by the designs of 16th and 

17th century Portuguese helmets, 

they feature a sprouting phallic 

appendage on the front. Traditionally 

worn by men, there are ti i’ langga 

for different occasions ranging from 

everyday use to celebrations. The 

celebration hats tend to be larger 

and more elaborate, with wider 

spiked fringes often painted in 

bright colors. 

The lontar leaf even provides the 

Rotinese with a unique musical 

instrument called the sasando. 

With a technique similar to the one 

used in haik construction, the leaf 

is fashioned into a hemispherical 

sounding board into which a 

copper-stringed bamboo tube is 

inserted producing a harp-like sound 

when plucked. 

When interlaced, lontar leaf stalks 

which can grow up to 1.5 meters 


57

in length, make excellent fences, 

house partitions and even birdcages 

or may be worked by stripping and 

twisting its fibers to make ropes, 

halters, bridles and a multitude 

of other items. When the ‘tree 

of life’ finally becomes old and 

unproductive, the trunk, which is 

stronger than coconut, is shaped 

into house beams, posts and rafters 

and hollowed out for pig feeding 

troughs and coffins. 

The lontar palm is a fascinating 

aspect to this off-the-beaten track 

travel destination, but Roti has plenty 

of other attractions and activities. 

The island is beautiful with hills, 

valleys and escarpments dominated 

by the ever-present lontar palm, but 

there’s also beauty underwater. The 

snorkelling and diving is good with 

spectacular walls and caverns, and a 

huge variety of marine life. 

Most visitors get to Roti by taking the 

ferry from Kupang’s Bolok harbour 

in West Timor to the tiny port of 

Pantai Baru on northwestern side 

of Roti, which seethes with island 

life when the boat comes in. From 

here, if you are lucky you’ll find a bus 

going in your direction, otherwise 

and more often it’s a truck or a 

bemo you’ll be boarding. This is 

the stuff that adventurous travelers 

revel in. Seated on a wooden plank 

high in the back of a truck with pigs, 

chickens and literally whole villages 

as fellow passengers, you’ll get great 

island views while making rewarding 

connections with the locals. 

Roti is a relatively small island, being 

roughly 80 km long and 23 km at 

its widest. There are only a few 

roads on the island many of them 

challenging 4WD tracks. Apart from 

the busy traffic when the ferry docks, 

local transport tends to run at its 

most regular on market days, and 

following the market days to different 

villages is a great way to see and 

experience Roti. 

In the far west of the island is 

Papela, a Muslim fishing village set 

on a beautiful harbor with a fleet of 

colorful boats. If you love traditional 

wooden sailing boats then Papela is 

a dream. With prior arrangement it

is possible to accompany fishermen 

on one of their fishing runs. On 

Saturday, Papela hosts the island’s 

largest market, where men can be 

seen wearing their wonderful ti’i 

langga hats. 


Ba’a is Roti’s main town and 

business district which also has a 

market day. On the outskirts along 

the beach there are some lovely 

traditional houses; tall boat-shaped 

lontar thatched roofs that sweep 

to the ground. If you ask politely 

residents may allow you to view 

the cool interior featuring three 

or four stores. 

59 

Of the small number of visitors 

to Roti, most head straight to 

Nemberala Beach which boasts 

some of the best left hand surf in 

Indonesia (June to October are the 

best months). Nemberala Beach 

has a handful of home stays run 

by friendly families and a small 

resort where most visitors staying 

elsewhere end up meeting for 

sunset drinks. 

There are some wonderful ikat 

cloth weavers in Nemberala as in 

most of Roti’s villages. The intricate 

floral designs are unique to the 

village, which make lovely souvenirs. 

Weavers can usually be seen at their 

looms close to the village square; 

often older women teaching young 

girls the ancient craft. 

If you are not careful you could easily 

spend your whole trip in this relaxed 

and picturesque coastal village 

simply soaking up the sun, surfing, 

snorkelling and hanging out at the 

home stays and letting the gentle 

tempo of island life take its hold. 

On my final evening on Roti, as I 

strolled the dusty tracks near my 

beach cottage in Nemberala, I was 

greeted by several lontar tappers 

heading home with their baskets full 

of lontar juice. As it’s a custom on 

the island for lontar tappers to offer 

fresh juice to anyone they encounter, 

I had my fill directly from the haik, of 

this elixir that flows from Roti’s ‘tree 

of a thousand uses.’


61 

A COMMON SIGHT AROUND SUNSET; TAPPERS ON THE LAST PALM FOR THE DAY

62 

CARNIVALS OF 

QUINTANA 

ROO 

BY ROBYN PHILLIPS 

In the vibrant tapestry of Mexican 

culture, few events rival the exuberance 

and vivacity of the Carnivals of Quintana 

Roo. Nestled along the dazzling 

Caribbean coastline, these celebrations 

encapsulate the spirit and essence of the 

region, serving as a dazzling spectacle of 

tradition, music, and color. Dating back 

centuries, these carnivals represent a 

fusion of indigenous heritage, Spanish 

influence, and contemporary flair, 

weaving together a rich tapestry of 

rituals and festivities. From elaborate 

parades adorned with intricately crafted 

floats to pulsating rhythms of traditional 

music echoing through the streets, 

the Carnivals of Quintana Roo stand 

as a testament to the resilience and 

vibrancy of Mexican culture. Beyond 

their sheer spectacle, these carnivals 

hold profound cultural significance, 

serving as a time-honored platform for 

communities to come together, celebrate 

shared heritage, and pay homage to 

their ancestors. As the calendar turns to 

2024, the anticipation and excitement 

surrounding these festivities are 

palpable, promising yet another year of 

joyous revelry and cherished traditions in 

the heart of Quintana Roo.

63MEXICO 


ISLA MUJERES 

Nestled off the coast of the Yucatán 

Peninsula, Isla Mujeres stands as a jewel 

in Quintana Roo’s crown, captivating 

visitors with its pristine beaches, rich 

history, and vibrant culture. Named after 

the ancient Mayan goddess of fertility, 

Ixchel, the island carries a legacy steeped 

in mythology and tradition. Beyond its 

breathtaking natural beauty, Isla Mujeres 

holds deep cultural significance, serving as 

a nexus where past and present converge. 

From the remnants of ancient Mayan 

temples to the colonial vestiges of Spanish 

influence, the island’s landscape is a 

testament to its diverse heritage. Yet, it is 

the warmth and hospitality of its people 

that truly define its essence. Through 

colorful festivals, such as the Festival of 

the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception 

and the Day of the Dead celebrations, 

locals pay homage to their roots, 

preserving age-old customs and rituals. 

The island’s thriving artisan community 

showcases traditional craftsmanship, from 

intricately woven textiles to hand-carved 

wooden sculptures, providing a glimpse 

into its rich cultural tapestry. A highlight 

of the trip, Isla Mujeres is a beacon of 

tradition and authenticity, inviting travelers 

to immerse themselves in its enchanting 

blend of history, culture, and natural 

splendor that was moving to witness.

PUEBLO DEL MAIZ MAYAN VILLAGE 

Set against the backdrop of 

Cozumel’s coastal paradise in 

Quintana Roo, Mexico, the Pueblo 

del Mal Mayan Village stands 

as a cultural sanctuary, proudly 

preserving the vibrant heritage 

of the ancient Mayan civilization. 

Amidst the azure waters and 

verdant landscapes, this enchanting 

enclave beckons visitors on a 

captivating journey through time, 

where the echoes of centuriesold 

traditions resound alongside 

the rhythms of contemporary life. 

Here, amidst the swaying palms 

and vibrant colors, visitors are 

invited to immerse themselves 

in a tapestry of Mayan culture, 

engaging in immersive workshops, 

lively performances, and insightful 

storytelling sessions that offer a 

glimpse into the rich tapestry of 

Mayan life. During this tour, the 

performers exercise excellent 

storytelling by providing an 

entertaining and interactive 

experience where you will make 

chocolate, and tamales together 

with your group. It is a not to be 

missed opportunity to learn and 

interact with Mayan culture for the 

family or your group.


65 

THE ISLAND’S 

THRIVING ARTISAN 

COMMUNITY 

SHOWCASES 

TRADITIONAL 

CRAFTSMANSHIP, 

PROVIDING A 

GLIMPSE INTO ITS 

RICH CULTURAL 

TAPESTRY 

CEVICHE FESTIVAL IN COZUMEL 

In between the February Carnival 

schedule in Cozumel during 

February, the Ceviche Festival 

emerges as an eagerly anticipated 

annual celebration of culinary 

excellence and cultural heritage. 

This gastronomic extravaganza 

transforms the island into a paradise 

for seafood enthusiasts, offering a 

tantalizing array of ceviche creations 

showcasing the freshest catches 

from the Caribbean waters. From 

traditional recipes passed down 

through generations to innovative 

twists that push the boundaries 

of flavor, the festival highlights 

the versatility and artistry of this 

iconic dish. Attendees are treated 

to a sensory feast as they sample 

an array of ceviche varieties, each 

bursting with the vibrant colors 

and bold flavors of Mexico’s coastal 

cuisine. Alongside the culinary 

delights, live music, cultural 

performances, and interactive 

cooking demonstrations create a 

festive atmosphere that celebrates 

both the culinary heritage and the 

natural beauty of Cozumel. As a 

celebration of community, culture, 

and cuisine, the Ceviche Festival in 

Cozumel serves as a testament to 

the island’s rich traditions and its 

status as a culinary destination not 

to be missed. My personal highlight 

was Ceviche Verde in house made 

Tequila pictured below.

CASA MISSION RESTAURANT, COZUMEL 

Situated in the heart of Cozumel, 

Quintana Roo, Mexico, Casa Mission 

Restaurant stands as a culinary 

oasis, inviting patrons on a journey 

of flavors deeply rooted in tradition 

and innovation. Renowned for its 

exquisite offerings that showcase 

the rich tapestry of Mexican cuisine, 

Casa Mission Restaurant is a 

beloved fixture in the local dining 

scene. From authentic regional 

dishes bursting with bold flavors to 

contemporary interpretations that 

push the boundaries of culinary 

artistry, the restaurant caters to 

diverse palates with its diverse 

menu. Fabiola Morales (pictured 

below) is the 2nd generation owner, 

and described her menu and gave 

a tour of her home and restaurant 

with deep pride. Fabiola has taken 

extra care, on top of providing a 

beautiful atmosphere, attentive 

staff, and delicious menus, to 

ensure that the restaurant and 

menus are completely accessible 

to all, including the hearing and 

seeing impaired. The restaurant’s 

ambiance, with its inviting decor and 

welcoming atmosphere, serves as 

a fitting backdrop for memorable 

dining experiences, whether it be a 

romantic evening for two or a festive 

gathering with friends and family. 

Casa Mission Restaurant plays a vital 

role in preserving culinary traditions, 

serving as a custodian of age-old 

recipes passed down through 

generations. By honoring the 

culinary heritage of Cozumel and 

Quintana Roo, the restaurant pays 

homage to the flavors and traditions 

that have shaped the region’s 

gastronomic identity. As Casa 

Mission Restaurant continues to 

delight patrons in 2024, it remains 

a beacon of culinary excellence 

and a testament to the enduring 

importance of preserving and 

celebrating Mexico’s rich culinary 

heritage. A highlight of the menu 

was the “Sexy Coffee”, and their 

famed “Coconut Shrimp”.

150TH ANNIVERSARY CARNIVAL COZUMEL 

The 150th anniversary Carnival of 

Cozumel in Quintana Roo, Mexico, 

marks a momentous occasion in 

the island’s rich cultural tapestry, 

celebrating a century and a half of 

vibrant traditions and joyous revelry. 

As one of the most anticipated events 

on the island’s calendar, the Carnival 

embodies the essence of Cozumel’s 

festive spirit, drawing locals and visitors 

alike to partake in a whirlwind of colorful 

parades, lively music, and exuberant 

dance performances. From its humble 

beginnings in 1874 as a modest street 

celebration to its evolution into a grand 

spectacle of culture and community, 

the Carnival has become a cherished 

tradition that transcends generations, 

uniting people from all walks of life in 

a shared celebration of heritage and 

camaraderie. 


67 

At the heart of the 150th anniversary 

Carnival of Cozumel lies a rich tapestry 

of traditions deeply rooted in the 

island’s cultural heritage. Throughout 

the festivities, the streets come alive 

with a kaleidoscope of costumes, floats 

adorned with elaborate designs, and 

performances that pay homage to 

the island’s history and folklore. Each 

aspect of the Carnival reflects the 

unique blend of influences that shape 

Cozumel’s identity, from the vibrant 

colors and rhythms of Caribbean culture 

to the echoes of Mayan traditions 

that resonate throughout the island. 

Central to the Carnival experience 

are the spirited comparsas (a group 

of dancers with festival masks and 

costumes), or street parties, where 

revelers don elaborate costumes and 

masks, dancing to the infectious beat of 

traditional music as they parade through 

the streets. The Carnival serves as a 

platform for local artisans, musicians, 

and performers to showcase their 

talents, further enriching the cultural 

tapestry of Cozumel. As the 150th 

anniversary Carnival of Cozumel unfolds 

in 2024, it not only commemorates 

a century and a half of tradition but 

also reaffirms the island’s enduring 

commitment to preserving its cultural 

heritage and sharing it with the world.

CROATIA /68 

BY SYLVIA TENNANT 

Croatia’s Dalmatian coast is often 

defined by its’ crown jewel, the Old 

City of Dubrovnik. One could spend a 

significant amount of time exploring 

dozens of fine dining institutions 

and historical hotspots held within 

its’ grandiose walls. However, if 

you’re willing to peel away from 

the medieval maze and head 

south no more than 30 minutes, 

you’ll be wonderfully rewarded. 

Known as “The Provence of the 

Dubrovnik region”, the Konavle Valley 

awaits with a variety of culturally 

unique activities.


THE ALLURE 

OF THE 

KONAVLE 

VALLEY 

EXPLORE 

The valley is watched over by 

Sokol Grad, an impressive fortress 

located in the hills above the village 

of Dunave and near the Croatian- 

Bosnian border. Dating back to 

prehistoric times, this site is a history 

buff’s dream. Many small stairs 

weave up and around an otherwise 

inaccessible cliffside that is worth 

the climb. The subtle scent of honey 

sits on the breeze and there are 

remarkable views in all directions. 

Explore the restored rooms that 

house ancient weaponry, jewelry, 

and historical displays from roman, 

byzantine, and medieval occupants. 

EAT 

Take a 10-minute drive through 

evergreen cypress trees and 

ancient grape vines to my best 

recommendation for an ideal 

lunch in the Konavle Valley, 

Konavoski Dvori. The Ljuta river 

runs alongside their dining area, 

providing a fairytale-like setting 

that simultaneously relaxes one’s 

nervous system and propels the 

surrounding water mills. National 

dishes prepared in the style of 

Croatian grandmothers are served 

by staff wearing traditional Konavle 

folk attire. Immersive and elevated, 

this experience is not to be missed. 

69

DRINK 

Regrettably, Croatia does not mass 

produce their wines (and they’re 

almost impossible to find in my 

hometown of Vancouver). Therefore, 

one must take full advantage of the 

moment, and head straight to Winery 

Botaro for an authentic tasting 

experience. This small business is 

deeply rooted in heritage - the family 

has been tending to their grapes for 

over 600 years. Spend the afternoon 

enjoying pairings in a picturesque 

backyard. If you’re lucky, and end up 

there on a Sunday, Matea’s grandma 

might make you her lemon cake 

from a recipe that is three centuries 

old. Be sure to try their Zinfandel - 

Botaro’s varietal is native to Croatia.

STAY 

In my eyes, the best hotel in 

Croatia is one that requires as few 

steps as possible to the Adriatic 

Sea. Hotel Bellevue is perched 30 

meters above the clear waters of 

Miramare Bay and is an excellent 

choice for those wanting a boutique 

luxury experience with the rare 

accessibility of a private, sandy 

cove. This property is very close to 

the hustle and bustle of Dubrovnik, 

providing the best of both worlds. 

Contemporary details and elegant 

service are woven throughout this 

five-star hotel. Spend one evening 

dining in-house at Vapour restaurant, 

a recommendation backed by yours 

truly and the Michelin Guide (five 

years and counting). The food, staff, 

and wine list are exceptional. 


71

72 

DRIFT TRAVEL

Italy 

Visiting Florence, Rome, and Naples during the summer offers a delightful 

immersion into the heart of Italian culture, history, and art. Each city promises 

sun-drenched days filled with gelato, espresso, and the joy of la dolce vita.

DRIFT Magazine is available 

on PressReader

DRIFT Travel Magazine Spring 2024

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