Westwards

A Whisky-filled week on Islay

Warehouse Experience Tour in Bruichladdich Distillery

Earlier this year we spent one week on the Scottish Island of Islay with the aim to visit as many as possible of the nine whisky distilleries scattered around the island and to taste as many of the famous peaty Islay whiskies as possible. With a lot of planning and fretting over bus timetables we made it to eight of the nine in the end, and left out only the Caol Ila Distillery, mainly because we felt it was too "evil-commercial".

Note: We did not have much prior knowledge of Islay whisky or of whiskies in general – and figured that after this week we would either hate whisky, or have become connoisseurs.

„Indeed, this one is very strong“ – it turns out we have tried the strongest of the Lagavulin whiskies first, a  first-fill bourbon cask special edition. The other two glasses we get to taste in our distillery tour at Lagavulin are almost mild in comparison. But only almost.

Based near the town of Port Ellen, we had a complicated schedule to follow in order to get around by public transport (no way were we going by car and missing out on all the fun of whisky tasting!). Like elsewhere in the British countryside, most buses run only two or three times daily on Islay, and some of the distilleries are not even close to a bus stop. Our choice of tours and tastings in each of the distilleries thus depended mostly on the Islay bus timetable and walking distances, but we ended up with a broad mix of standard tours, table tastings, premium and warehouse tastings.

Our rented hut was situated right next to the Lagavulin distillery, and we could fit in the introductory tour with standard tastings of three whiskies on the arrival day. The next day we hiked to the famous Kildalton Cross, a Celtic cross possibly dating from the 8th century, and on the way back we felt we had earned ourselves the premium table tasting of 5 whiskies at Ardbeg Distillery. After the first sip of the Uigadhal, it takes a moment before the peat hits in, but then we feel like we have had some peat for dinner.

Using a peat fire for the malt at Bowmore Distillery

In the Bowmore distillery the next day, we get to see the peat smoke up close: Bowmore is one of very few whisky distilleries still making their own malt (the grain comes from the Scottish mainland though), and during the tour we can have a try at raking the malt and sniffle into the peat fire where the malt is roasted. We also look at the old Porteus mill – the company went bankrupt many years ago after fitting most distilleries on Islay (and beyond) with mills because they wouldn’t break in time to provide more business – and into the traditional wooden washbacks.

Bowmore's Vault No. 1 is perhaps the island’s most famous warehouse, below sea level and constantly cool. For tax reasons visitors are not easily allowed inside. The whisky tasting after the tour is quite straightforward: 12 years, 15 years, 18 years.

Tasting in the Laphroaig Whisky Distillery

Later that day, we try another more complicated selection of four old and rare whiskies at the bar of the famous Laphroaig distillery. Sharing a tasting flight between the four of us enables us in the first place to try such a number of whiskies, occasionally adding a glass or two of very special or single cask whiskies – a strategy we replicate at some other tastings.

The next day we have a long bus ride all across Islay and a hike to Bunnahabhain, passing a not-yet-working distillery, Ardnahoe, on the way. They do have a nice shop though and we end up with lilac Ardnahoe T-Shirts and Haggis chocolate.

Premium Tasting in the Bunnahabain Whisky Distillery

After a quick distillery tour of Bunnahabhain and a premium whisky tasting involving six glasses each, walking back might have been a good idea but we would have missed the only bus back, so someone from the distillery gave us a lift to the bus stop. Bunnahabhain was the distillery we liked most – the whiskies are not too peaty (some have no peat at all) and especially their 18 year-old is great value for money.

The bus challenge continues on the next day, when we are booked into the warehouse tour in Bruichladdich – three well-filled glasses of different old and mostly peaty single cask whiskies in a cool storehouse. Although we get small tasting bottles to take home that part of the whisky we can’t drink, the fresh air outside is rather a shock and we need a while to brave the 2-hour walk to the Kilchoman distillery in the west of the island … By the time we arrive there, we have missed all the tours and settle for a tasting of another four whiskies in the Kilchoman bar.

After five days of intensive whisky tasting on Islay we feel that our whisky preferences veered a little bit out of our budget. But visiting distilleries, learning about whisky and whisky history on Islay, drinking more whisky in the evening and having discussions about the tours and whiskies tasting was great fun.

Whiskies tasted

Lagavulin: Limited edition 8 Years, a double matured sherry cask, and natural cask strength first-fill bourbon cask

Ardbeg: 10 Years; Uigadhal; Perpetuum; 22 Years; 23 Years

Bowmore: 12 Years, 15 Years, 18 Years

Laphroaig: An Cuan Mor; 25 Years; Cairdeas Origin; 2007 Bourbon Single Cask

Bunnahabhain: 18 Years; 25 Years; Amontillado (the best of all!); Toiteach A Dhá; 14 Year old Moine PX Finish Single Cask;  14 Year old Moine PX Noe

Bruichladdich: 1992 Single Cask; 2004 Porte Charlotte single cask; Octomore 6.3, 2009

Kilchoman: 100% Islay; Machir Bay; Sauternes

The old Porteus mill at Lagavulin Distillery

How to get around on Islay without a car

There's not quite a network of bus routes, but there are several bus routes on the island of Islay. We found the timetable at https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/sites/default/files/islay_450-451_timetable_3.pdf (and if that link is broken they should be listed here: https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/timetable/bus).

From our base in Lagavulin we could walk to 3 distilleries (Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Ardbeg) and take a direct bus to Bowmore. Three more whisky distilleries (Bunnahabhain, Ardnahoe and Caol Ila) are located within (reasonable) walking distance from Port Askaig on the other end of the line. Finally there's another branch line passing Bruichladdich. And from there it was a two-hour walk to Kilchoman (no bus passing near the distillery). We wouldn't have made it for the return bus and shared a taxi (50 £). There are about half a dozen taxis companies on Islay and it is wise to book ahead, not least because mobile phone coverage is patchy outside the villages.

View from the Tin House towards Lagavulin Whisky Distillery

We stayed at the Tin House Holiday Cottage by Islay pods.

Note: We were not sponsored in any way for this trip and do not get any commissions from the above companies and distilleries. The whole trip was paid and planned by ourselves and our friends we went together with. Danke an Martina!

Interested in Whisky? See also our posts on the Japanese Whisky distilleries of Suntory and Nikka and to the Glengoyne Whisky Distillery in Scotland.

Touring Japanese Whisky distilleries – a visit to Suntory and Nikka

In the Kansai Airport waiting area, a passenger is happily cradling his Nikka 12 year bottle. He was lucky to be able to purchase a bottle after all. Since Japanese whiskies have taken on a fabulous reputation in recent years, aged Japanese whiskies, especially single malts, are hard to come by – even in the shops of the distilleries. On our last trip to Japan we visited two Japanese Whisky distilleries.

Suntory Yamazaki Distillery

On entering the premises of the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery near Osaka on a pleasant summer afternoon, we pass the bar where a number of visitors are already contemplating their tasting flights. But since we are booked in for a tour, we continue to the visitor centre. The tour is conducted in Japanese, but foreign visitors are handed a smart phone with an app providing similar information on the various stages of whisky making in several languages. The tour focuses on a very general introduction to the process – there is not much explanation on the peculiarities of Japanese whisky or of the style produced at Yamazaki. Nevertheless, it is worth joining the tour in order to see the stills – 6 spirit stills and 6 wash stills in the main house alone, all visibly different in form and quite big. It is even possible to walk through some of the warehouses with impressive rows of barrels.

Nowadays, the location just 20 minutes from the metropolitan centre of Osaka may seem unusual, but the water in the hills of Yamazaki has been famous since the days of Sen-no-rikyu (the revered founder of traditional Japanese tea ceremony). The hills behind the premises provide an agreeable coolness even in summer. When Torii Shinjiro decided, in 1923, to found a whisky distillery in Japan, he chose Yamazaki both for its good water and climate and for its closeness to the economic and cultural centres of Osaka and Kyoto.

After the tour, we are led into the tasting room and instructed (again in several languages) how to compare two component whiskies and the final product, the Yamazaki Single Malt. We also learn how to mix a perfect Japanese Highball with soda and ice.

Whisky tasting at the bar of the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery

We do appreciate the opportunity to taste the components (in the bar you can also try the 70% New Pot straight from the stills) – but on the other hand the tasting does not include any special or aged whiskies. They are available, however, at the bar: Whisky lovers thus have reason to visit the distillery if just in order to get hold of a glass of rare whisky that’s not even easily available in the shops (and at reasonable prices). After the tasting we have another go at Suntory's World Whisky and an Amarillo.

Nikka Yoichi Distillery

Whisky museum at Nikka Yoichi Distillery

Just 3 weeks later we are on the way to Otaru on Hokkaido when we pass a group of old stone houses with cute pointed red roofs. It looks like a distillery – and it turns out it is the Nikka distillery in Yoichi, another one of the old distilleries in Japan. Just like Yamazaki, Yoichi is not far off in the remote mountainside these days, but right off the main road. That was different when Taketsuru Masataka first came here with his Scottish wife to open his own whisky distillery in 1934. He had studied whisky making in Scotland and then worked for Torii Shinjiro at Yamazaki. But the ambitious Taketsuru favoured the mountains of Hokkaido as the ideal whisky region and thus became the founder of Japan’s second major whisky company, Nikka. The small stone houses are still the original buildings: Kiln Tower, Mash House, Wash House.

Coal-fired whisky stills at the Nikka Yoichi Distillery

The stills in the old Still House are fired with charcoal even today, and the first still from the 1930s looks tiny between the newer ones. There are tours in Japanese through the premises, but you can also do a self-guided tour with the provided leaflet. After walking between the historical buildings we check out the company history at Nikka’s museum and then proceed to the free tasting.

At Nikka this is a canteen-style affair and comprises two standard whiskies and a sweetish apple wine, since Taketsuru started his business producing apple juice and apple wine while he was waiting for his first whiskies to mature. Isa has to stick with apple juice all along, as she is driving and thus gets marked with a big "driver" sticker.

Whisky tasting at the bar of the Nikka Yoichi Distillery

As in Yamazaki, the Nikka shop doesn’t sell any of the more sought-after single malts and aged whiskies, except a small range of limited edition single malts only available in Yoichi. But the bar at least has a good selection of premium and aged whiskies, and even a single cask whisky. Normally, the bartender explains, they have one single cask on offer, but by the end of the year the may have run out …

Is it worth visiting the Yamazaki and the Nikka Yoichi distilleries?

Whisky tasting at the bar of the Nikka Yoichi Distillery

Both whisky distillery tours we tried were geared mainly towards Japanese visitors without specialised knowledge of whisky and offered rather general information on whisky production. Both distilleries also offered English explanations; however, for foreign visitors not particularly interested in whisky this may not necessarily be worthwhile. Whisky buffs will still appreciate the opportunity to see the stills and the scale of these premises. As for the free Whisky tasting, in the Japanese factories it included no rare or aged whiskies. The draw for whisky lovers is in both cases the bar, where whiskies not attainable elsewhere can be tasted at a reasonable price (which is still high compared to other whiskies).

How to get to Suntory Yamazaki Distillery and to Nikka Yoichi Distillery

Yamazaki is a small town between Osaka and Kyoto. Local trains on the JR line stop at Yamazaki station just 5 minutes on foot from the Suntory distillery, while the nearest station on the private Hankyu line is called Oyamazaki (10 minutes walking distance).

Yoichi is a town on Hokkaido, about 20 km from the touristy town of Otaru and about 50 km west of Sapporo. The Nikka distillery is situated almost next to Yoichi train station.

Interested in Whisky? See also our posts on our week of whisky tasting on Islay (Scotland) and to the Glengoyne Whisky Distillery in Scotland.

 

Mozu Tombs near Osaka – Japan's newest UNESCO World Heritage site

Tomb of Nintoku Tenno in the Mozu group of tombs in Osaka

A sudden mound behind the parking area, covered in trees. Beyond an old-fashioned residential neighbourhood and a canal – just a large expanse of green, where dozens of egrets are nisting. We are at Osaka‘s ancient tumulus graves, which were only included on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list in 2019. The tombs date from the 4th to 6th century and belonged to early kings or rulers. Some of them are very large, and many have a very peculiar shape: Artificial hills in the form of a keyhole, surrounded by a moat (or sometimes several moats).

Keyhole-shaped restored tumulus grave near Inuyama, Japan

Just two days after the announcement of the UNESCO decision, we made our way to Sakai, a southern suburb of Osaka. Around here, there once was a fertile plain where the small „Kingdoms of Wa“ appeared, the first state-like structures on the Japanese isles. Not much is known about them, except that their kings and the local elite were buried in tumulus graves that still dot the area.

A smaller tumulus grave near the tomb of Nintoku Tenno

From the station of Mikunigaoka, we have to determine the right direction, but soon we notice the first strange and knobbly hills. In a sea of concrete houses, these hills stick out because there are trees on them. And it certainly won't do in Japan to build a house on a grave that may well house a former emperor, considering that all Japanese emperors before the previous one were also gods!

Tomb of Nintoku Tenno in the Mozu group of tombs in Osaka, Japan

Soon we reach a fenced-off water channel with only trees visible on the other side. This is the moat of King Nintoku’s tomb. At 486 m length, it is the largest tomb in Japan – and as emphasized in the museum, it is at least longer than the Egyptian Cheops Pyramid and the tomb of the Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang in Xian, guarded by the famous terracotta army. Both of these tombs are much higher and more voluminous, though.

Recreated scene of haniwa figurines in the Sakai park near the Mozu tombs.

On the southern side of the tomb we reach a park area providing access to the prayer area – nowadays a Shinto-style courtyard with a Japanese Torii facing the original entrance of the tomb. There’s also a visitor centre renting out bicycles, a history museum with models of the tombs, aerial views, and artefacts found in the tombs.

In Aotsuka near Inuyama, an ancient tomb has been reconstructed in the way it must have once looked

In Mozu alone, 44 tombs are preserved, but apparently there must have been thousands in Japan. The artificial hills were originally not covered in trees, but bare earthen (or grassy) mounds with large numbers of "Haniwa" votive goods placed along the upper part of the hill: ceramic pots or figures, models of houses and shrines. In the tomb chambers below, archaeologists have found more ceramics, jewels and precious stones, as well as armours and weapons. The regular exhibition in the museum was quite interesting, and they also had some short documentary films explaining the history of the tombs.

Was it worth visiting the Mozu-Furuichi Tombs of Osaka?

Actually there is not very much to see at Sakai and you are not allowed to go near the venerable tombs. It is only possibly to have a look on the hilly burial places from beyond the moat – the most impressive view would of course be from high above, but since there are no high towers around, aerial photographs have to do. There are a number of smaller hilly tombs in walking distance.

Tomb of Suinin Tenno in Nara, Japan

It might be a good idea to read up on Japanese early history before you venture out to Sakai. The on-site museum gives a good insight too – but is mostly in Japanese. Unless you collect UNESCO sites or are quite interested in Japanese history a visit might turn out somewhat disappointing.

Haniwa grave goods in the Sakai history museum near the Mozu tombs

How to get to the Mozu Tombs in Osaka

You can reach Sakai in around 15 to minutes either by JR (Japan Railway) or on the private Nankai line from Osaka Namba. If you walk around a bit and also visit the museum this will be a half-day trip.

New Highlights in Uzbekistan – discoveries from our research for the 3rd edition of our Uzbekistan guidebook

The 3^rd edition of our Uzbekistan guidebook Usbekistan DuMont Reise-Handbuch has been out in the book stores for a few months now - time to share some of the newly researched highlights on our blog. For the 3^rd edition we travelled restlessly up and down the country for one month. 

Uzbekistan became a booming travel destination in Central Asia over the last year, last but not least because of the recently eased visa policies of the Uzbek government. Uzbek people are keen to accommodate tourists and travellers, and therefore new guest houses and restaurants are opening all over the country.

Hotel recommendations

We included a lot of new hotels in the guidebook - many of them are nice, but somewhat generic. The Sakura Inn Guest House in Fergana (in the Fergana Valley) and the Hotel Old Bukhara (in Bukhara) we found really outstanding.

Elsevar, the owner of the Sakura Inn, spent a few years in Japan and brought back a lot of ideas and insights on using minimal space to the maximum. His seven rooms are located in a normal apartment block and all of them are spick and span. There is a communal kitchen and a washing machine for the use of the guests. And a big cat lounging around! Elsevar has a lot of tips for travelling in the region and will also help in organising your onward travel.

Sakura Guest House in Fergana

The Old Bukhara is located near the Kalon minaret in a quiet neighbourhood of Bukhara. The Tadjik family who runs it topped their own courtyard house with a second floor and now rents out some lovely traditionally decorated rooms. Breakfast is also divine!

Fantastic breakfast at Hotel Old Bukhara

Restaurant recommendations

The restaurant scene develops slower than the accommodation options, but we also found some really tasty new places, like the Dilkor Laghman Center in Bukhara. You will have to take a taxi to get to this different world in the fifth micro-rayon, as the Dilkor Laghman Center is situated 3 km away from the old town. It is essentially a big canteen-style dining hall serving  freshly pulled Uighur-style noodles in broth. They also have a very good selection of salads and fresh breads, but not much else (Corner of Pindastgir Street/ Alisher Navoi Street in the fifth Microrayon, Bukhara).

Uighur-style noodles at the Dilkor Laghman Centre

The capital city of Tashkent is becoming posher and posher every time we visit.

Gosht Burger in Tashkent was a recommendation from a Burger chef we talked to in Samarkand. At Gosht Burger the steaks and burgers are grilled in a Josper Grill, a specialised covered charcoal-heated oven, where the grilled meat turns out especially aromatic and juicy. The interior is very stylish and they do have wonderful outdoor seating. And they also do quite good vegetarian burgers!

Josper grill at Gosht Burger, Tashkent

More things we enjoyed so much that they made it into our top list

Holy Cave of Davud near Samarkand

About 40 km southwest of Samarkand, we visited a local pilgrimage site that doubles as a pleasant nature excursion: The cave where the biblical David (= Davud) is said to have left his fingerprints is located near the top of a small mountain. 1334 concrete steps (no, we did not count them, this is just the “official” number of steps) lead up to the mountain top where you will find a small prayer room (and lots of souvenir stalls). A bit further on, there is the actual cave. To get into the holy cave you have to squeeze through a narrow crevice. Not many foreign tourists come to Hazrat Davud and the Uzbeks are mostly pilgrims. In the cave you are expected to give a small donation and listen to a prayer by the mullah.

After the strenuous climb, the Uzbek pilgrims party in lush gardens in the valley at the bottom of the hill.

Holy cave of Davud near Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Kazakh Village near Nurata

From Nurata we did an excursion to Lake Aydarkul, a large artificial lake in the desert. Not far beyond the lake shore, the road through the desert towards Kazakhstan passes a few lonely villages.

Ruslan, who runs a guest house in Nurata, drove us to the lake and suggested a detour to Eski Dungalah, a village that was created during the Soviet period to settle previously nomadic Kazakhs. Even today it retains its nomadic atmosphere in spite of the white-washed stone houses. There is nothing but desert around them, cows and camels sit in the shade around the buildings, and even the water has to be brought in in huge tanks. One of the most memorable places we have visited in Uzbekistan!

In the Kazakh village of Eski Dungalah near Lake Aydarkul, Uzbekistan

These are just a few highlights we discovered during our last research tour through the country. Are you planning to visit Uzbekistan in the near future?

Another new development: It is now allowed to take photos in the beautiful metro of Tashkent!

NB: Our visit to Uzbekistan was a research trip for our guidebook. Except for a few complimentary or discounted nights in guest houses, the whole trip was paid for, and organised, by ourselves. Ruslan did not charge us for the visit to Eski Dungalah (we paid for the room, though).

Highlights from 5 weeks on New Zealand's North Island

Hiking on the remote Waikaremoana Ruapani Circuit in New Zealand

After travelling the North Island of New Zealand for five weeks earlier this year, we did a personal ranking of what we liked best. Before we went to New Zealand we had consulted guide books and social media about the must-sees and must-dos in New Zealand.

We visited some of them – not all: we skipped, for instance, Hobbington (by choice) and the Glow Worm Caves (bad planning on our part). It turned out that our personal favourites did not necessarily coincide with the standard tourist portfolio.  Anyway here are our tops – subjective and personal, but all of them spectacular!

NB: Double rankings are caused by the point system – No.1 gets five points, No. 2 four points and so on. We do this both and add up the points.

#1. Seal colony near Cape Palliser

Originally we went to Cape Palliser south of Martinborough to do a short hike around the nearby Putangirua Pinnacles, a very strange forest of spikey rocks that served as a location in the “Lord of the rings”. The hike was nice enough but didn't take the whole day, so we decided to go all the way to Cape Palliser Lighthouse. On our way back we spotted the seals lounging on the rocks just off the coastal road.

They were quite relaxed and at ease with occasional human visitors and we could stand a couple of meters away watching them. Once a seal even broke out of the bushes right behind us and crawled past.

#1. Five-day canoe tour on the Whanganui River

We may not have thought on the first of those days on the River Whanganui that this would become one of the highlights of our New Zealand trip – but in retrospect the trip into the wilderness was among our most cherished experiences. The Whanganui River is one of the longest rivers in New Zealand and flows through spectacular landscapes. Read here about the ups and downs of paddling on the Whanganui River.

#2. Giant Kauri trees

Tane Mahuta or "God of the Forest", the largest Kauri tree in New Zealand

The huge and ancient Kauri trees were one of the reasons to visit New Zealand in the first place, especially after having read about them in books like “Barkskins” by Annie Proulx and “The Overstory” by Richard Powers. We did finally see them during the last week of our New Zealand trip, but there was some great information in Wellington's Te Papa Museum, too. On the Northland peninsula, we spent two days looking for the nowadays rare and endangered Kauri trees: in the Kauri Museum in Matakohe we learned even more about their size (up to 50 m high and 17 m circumference!), age (the older ones around 2000 years) and the use of their wood (for everything). Kauri trees are easily damageable because humans and even most animals arrived so late in New Zealand that the trees have not adapted to them. There are however several protected forests where the enormous trees can be seen – but not touched.

#3. Hiking near the Waikaremoana Lake

None of the other hikes we did (Tongariro Circuit, Edmonton National Park and the Cape Brett Walk near Paihia) made it on the Top Five list – but we immensely enjoyed our day walk in the Waikaremoana National Park. Originally we had intended to do the Waikaremoana Great Walk, a three-day hike along the shores of Lake Waikaremoana, but the trail had been closed for months after storm damages. Instead we dide the Ruapani Circuit, a day trek from the visitor centre and camp ground. The trail was partly along the more popular Waikareiti Trail leading up to Lake Waikareiti and back. On this part of the trail we met 4 other walkers, but on the more overgrown part of the Ruapani Circuit, we were alone. This part of the trail was quite natural, unlike the mass-compatible boardwalks of the Tongariro Circuit.

#4. Hot sand bath in Hahei

In general, we did not find the much-hyped Coromandel Peninsula particularly enthralling (Cathedral Cove, for instance, seems absolutely overrated to us – we had bad weather, though). But a bath at Hotwater Beach near Hahei was fun: The beach is heated in some places by volcanic activity, and by digging pools in the right spot you can tap a (very) hot spring. In low tide, this is a very popular activity and dozens of shallow sand bath tubs cluster in a small area of the beach, where the water is neither to cold nor to hot.

#4. Auckland museums

Pacific mask in the Auckland Museum, New Zealand

We visited a number of museums in New Zealand. Particularly interesting were the two main museums in Auckland: In the Auckland Museum in the large park called the Domain, we found the displays about other pacific island cultures especially intriguing. The Maritime Museum at the harbour presented an interesting mix of Maori boats, whalers, and America's Cup Yachts, combined with stories from the emigrant ships.

Immigrant history in Auckland's Maritime Museum, New Zealand

NB: Our trip to New Zealand was not sponsored in any way, we organised the round trip on our own and paid everything ourselves.

Into wild waters: A canoe trip on the Whanganui River in New Zealand

Earlier this year we spent five weeks on the Northern Island of New Zealand. And one of the highlights of our trip was a five day canoe tour on the Whanganui River, which is also one of the Great Walks of New Zealand (and the only one you do not actually walk but paddle).

Day 1: Cherry Grove – Ohinepane. 25 km

„Let‘s see - Ok, we go down the main current and then we have to take a sharp right turn in order NOT to hit that stone, and then there‘s another stone behind.“ Ben, the guy who rented us the canoe, has advised us to get out of the canoe at the first major bend to assess the next rapid. Apparently it is one of the most difficult ones on the Whanganui River. What he didn’t tell us is that a canoe reacts quite differently from a kayak (something we have done before) … Instead of going to the right, and in spite of fervent paddling on our part, the canoe continues straight forward directly heading for the stone – and then the boat tilts and slowly turns over.

Capsizing is far less stressful than anticipated – February is New Zealand summer and the Whanganui River is surprisingly warm. We just have to get to the shore, unload the canoe to tilt the water out, repack, and get in again. At least, capsizing just 15 minutes into the five-day trip should take the fear off it. 

In fact, we fall into the water three times on that first day on the Whanganui River canoe tour. Once, a nearby kayaking guide has to come swimming to rescue our boat from a tree where it is stuck. And by the evening we feel depressed and doubtful about canoeing on the rapids of a truly wild river. 

Only three other people have started the five-day river tour with us that day, all of them younger solo travellers on single kayaks. Lim, with whom we are paddling within viewing distance because he rented the kayak from the same operator as we did, is a Korean student and has never been on a river, nor pitched a tent, but he is doing quite well (although he, too, falls off his kayak occasionally).

Day 2: Ohinepane – Whakahoro. 40 km

Stubbornly we decided the evening before to stick it out – either we will never go into a canoe after this trip or we will get better at it. On our second day, the rapids continue, but we manage somehow. Perhaps we have gained more experience and are working better strategies in assessing the current beforehand, squinting at the river surface: “There’s that snag over there, and behind that …  I don’t think that wave in the distance is a stone … Anyway we should go to the far left and steer around whatever it is ...” We treat the heavy, roundish canoe as a washtub that will just follow the current from whichever point it is when the river starts going faster, and concentrate on finding the right entrance point and on keeping it as straight as possible. This seems to work better than yesterday’s attempts at “steering”. And gradually the river gets slower: The Whanganui River is extremely low after a hot and dry summer, and people had warned us that we would have to paddle a lot.

We stay overnight at the Whakahoro campsite with a wonderful view over the river from above (but a very exhausting climb up to the site).

Day 3: Whakahoro – John Coull. 40 km.

On the third day, we enter the Whanganui National Park and paddle mostly on calm waters through canyons with impressively high steep walls. Drift wood piles up on the sides and sometimes in the middle of the river – keeping us somewhat busy spotting trouble. But on the whole it is a relaxed and quiet day: Ducks follow our canoe, cormorants sit watchfully, and wild goats scramble up the shores. Once or twice we glide past kingfishers that only make the effort of flying up when we are at arm’s length from them. There are no roads or settlements within the Whanganui National Park, the only access is by boat.

The extremely low level of the Whanganui River also means that the features along the river and most rapids are quite different from their description in the river chart – today we don’t even notice some of the normally difficult ones. By now, our group of five has become sort of a river family.

Day 4: John Coull – Tieke Kainga. 39 km

The John Coull hut was the starting point for more kayaks and canoes. On the following section in the National Park, the Whanganui River offers spectacular scenery and not so difficult paddling in most places. The five of us who started out together on the difficult rapids of the upper river stick together more, watching out for each other and sharing breaks.

Half into the day, there’s a popular side-trip by foot leading to the Bridge to Nowhere. It is a proper road bridge built in the 20^th century to provide access for new settlements – but the terrain proved too difficult to finish the road. Some of the pioneers held out for a few decades, but many died, and eventually, the area was abandoned – all that is left is the concrete bridge, far too large for the hiking path crossing it. A few name plates are set up in memory of the settlers who once tried to cultivate the forest, a dense jungle today.

Today's campsite at Tieke Kainga is situated on traditional Maori land. Originally most of the area was sparsely populated by Maori tribes, but with the creation of the Whanganui National Park everyone who lived there had been forced to leave the park. When the park administration (DOC / Department of Conservation) decided to establish campsites in the 1990s, the Maori tribe who still formally owned the land protested. Eventually the campsite was placed under joint administration of DOC and the tribe, and they could build a Marae (a meeting house) next to the campsite.

Day 5: Tieke Kainga – Pipiriki. 24 km.

Our last day on the river is quite short with some steep and fast rapids, but also more relaxed parts among widening banks. Often, we are still paddling in a canyon with high walls and piled-up driftwood, and the most difficult part is avoiding the high waves of the jet boats which pass us frequently, ferrying groups of hikers or mountain bikers between Pipiriki and the Bridge to Nowhere landing. All five of us are nervous because today we will encounter a very sharp and fast left-bend rapid with a big stone sticking out right in the middle of it. “A red canoe is wrapped around it – so you should spot it easily!” everybody has assured us. We cheat a little by dragging the canoes and kayaks over the shallow banks on the left side....

After a few hours of paddling, we arrive in Pipiriki, the final point of the Whanganui River tour: with a sense of achievement, but more importantly, very relaxed. The tour on the river has taken us very far from our normal life and work, and not only because there’s no Internet, electricity and mobile connection. And we are glad that we pulled through with the trip after the first bad day.

What you need to know before heading out on the Whanganui River

Most people only do the last three days of this trip, which are arguably the highlight of the river. This also means there are more people. We would recommend doing the five day trip. Some companies suggest stretching the three days into four days, or five days into six, to give you more time for exploring. However, when we did the trip we did not feel rushed or overly exhausted although the river was unusually slow and we had to paddle a lot.

You have to book most campsites and huts before you go. We rented our canoe at Whanganui River Canoes/Raetihi for 200 NZ Dollar per person which included storage barrels for the gear, life vests and a map of the river as well as transport to and from the river. Apart from the canoe rental, we organised the trip (huts and food) by ourselves.

All expenses have been fully paid by ourselves and we did not receive any sponsoring.

Great Walks in New Zealand: The Tongariro Northern Circuit

Mt Ngaurupoe or Mt Doom in the Tongariro National Park

When we started our three-day hike in the Tongariro National Park, we were not sure what to expect, but we were prepared to meet many people, as it is one of the most well-known tracks on the Northern Island. And we were prepared to meet even more people on the one day we shared partly with the popular “Tongariro Crossing” day trip.

„A thousand people per day do the Tongariro crossing.“ „Too many for my taste, but I‘m used to New Zealand tramps where you meet nobody the whole day.“ „Oh, it wasn‘t so bad, we had expected more.“ - were some of the statements we had heard before.

View of Mt. Ruapehu

Day 1: Whakapapa Village – Oturere Hut.

27 km, 1061 m up, 810 m down

The volcanic cone of Mt Ngauruhoe is looming over the heath when we approach the Tongariro visitor centre in Whakapapa Village in the morning light. We have decided to do the Tongariro Northern Circuit anti-clockwise, and thus against the current, as it were. Our first day to Waihohonu Hut being not so hard, we start not too early. The path first slopes gradually up to the saddle between Mt Ngauruhoe and the mighty snow-capped Mt Ruapehu. A few day-trippers head out in our direction, towards the clear Tama Lakes or the Taranaki waterfall.

 

Tama Lakes

Later in the day, we meet occasional hikers with some more luggage coming from the huts in the park. Before 3 pm, we are already at the historic Waihohonu Hut, where travellers since 1904 alighted from their stage coaches while doing the “Grand Tour” of New Zealand.

The hut warden at the neighbouring new Waihohonu Hut advises us that we might change our camping reservation (which we had made months ago because even the campsites in the National Park are so restricted) to the next hut if we wanted to continue. It is such a nice day that it feels too early to stop here – so we continue to Oturere Hut. The path turns out far more demanding than the first hours: up through overgrown forest, and then down through overgrown forest. And again up, and then up and down for a while in an ever more lonely and volcanic landscape. We arrive after everybody else, at around 7 pm, at the Oturere Hut, but are glad that we added these three hours to our schedule for today, and that we won’t have to do it tomorrow.

Day 2: Oturere Hut – Mangatepopo Hut

14 km, 570 m up, 740 m down

The next day is the steepest and highest part of the trail, hiking to the Emerald Lakes and over the Red Crater. This part of the trail is called the “Tongariro Crossing”, and is advertised all over New Zealand’s North Island as a must-do day hike. It is very likely the most popular day-hike in the whole country. Tourists are shuttled in the morning to the starting point at Mangatepopo, and picked up 6 to 10 hours later at the other end, at a much lower altitude. Nobody ever does the day hike in the opposite direction, it seems, with 400 m or so more to climb. From our last hut on the Tongariro Northern Circuit, however, it is actually not that many altitude meters – once we have reached the brilliantly coloured Emerald Lakes, we only have less than 200 m of altitude to the top of the Red Crater.

Day hikers on the Tongariro Crossing

This is where we encounter the day hikers, even though it is already midday and most must already have passed. Resting at the Lakes and trudging up the steep volcanic sand to the crater, we meet several hundred hikers going in the opposite direction – some of them in sneakers and struggling with the difficult terrain. “How much longer is it to the official end of the “Crossing”? About 20 minutes will do?”, an exhausted-looking youngster asks us. From the top of the Red Crater, we can see the trail of day hikers extending northwards past another lake and into the next valley. Maybe 3 or 4 hours more for the exhausted hiker...

Beyond the summit, we are alone again in the grey and barren landscape of recently erupted volcanoes. Mt Ngauruhoe is again right next to us, clearly visible on another spectacularly pleasant day. It has played a role in the Lord of the Rings movies, but is impressive enough on its own. The walk down to Mangatepopo is long, but easy, as the path is prepared for the masses of day-hikers: wooden boards and staircases most of the way, some toilet blocks lower down in the valley. Again, we are among the last to arrive at the hut.

Day 3: Mangatepopo-Whakapapa Village

10 km, 290 m up, 350 m down

Today we can really have a lazy start, for whereas everybody else is heading for the volcanic slopes of the Red Crater (with many other hikers), we are only crossing some foothills to return to Whakapapa Village. In the first 5 minutes of our hike we meet about 100 people who are just coming from the drop-off point and eager to start their Tongariro Crossing day hike. But soon we turn into a different trail and are almost alone for the rest of the morning. 5 pairs of hikers are walking in the opposite direction, and Mt Ruapehu is standing in front of us. Mt Ngauruhoe is in clouds today – we were lucky to have such good views on the volcano for the past two days.

When we dip into a forest and hear Chinese chatter, we know we are nearing Whakapapa Village, the end of our three-day Tongariro trail. People in shorts are walking towards the Taranaki Waterfall. Then a group of perhaps 30 young people in flip-flops, carrying towels, rugby balls and packets of crisps are pushing past us. Ten minutes later we arrive in the village and see the Kiwi Experience backpacker bus that apparently carried the group to their picnic trip in the mountains.

What you need to know before heading out on the Tongariro Northern Circuit

The Tongariro Northern Circuit is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks – so in season hut and camping reservations are essential. We hiked at the beginning of February and huts as well as camping facilities were booked solid. Camping facilities at the Oturere Hut were somewhat wider than the few places that could officially be booked, so in reality it was not quite so restricted – but at Mangatepopo Hut it would be difficult to find space for an extra tent. You have to bring your own food, pots, and plates, but even campers can use the gas stoves in the kitchen.

And yes, there is a certain risks of earthquakes and volcano outbreaks. Write your name and where you are heading next into the “intentions book” in the huts – for all kinds of emergencies and for curious fellow hikers.

This was our year in travels 2018

Visit to a desert village in Uzbekistan: Eski Dungala

As always, we had a busy year – with not as much travelling as we might have wished, but still good.

January/ February

We started the year with a short sightseeing trip to Brussels with Isa's mother. It was the first time that we went on a trip together and we had a lot of fun visiting art museums, eating Belgian fries (double-fried and thus less oily) and chocolates, drinking beer and admiring the numerous murals. In fact we all liked it so much that we have already scheduled another trip to Antwerp for 2019.

Kinkie & Cozy mural in Brussels

February/March

At the end of January we left for a four week backpacking trip to Western Africa flying in and out at Lome/ Togo. We travelled loop through Togo, Benin, Southern Burkina Faso and back to Togo. Prepared for a tough journey, we were surprised how easily we got around and how relaxed we felt.

Togo, and especially Lome, was surprising: very laid-back with white beaches and a good pub culture, too. Visiting the Wolds House in Agbodrafo greatly added to our knowledge and understanding of the slave trade from West Africa.

Tranquil beach in the capital – Lome in Togo is a backpacker's insider tip

Benin was our favourite travel destination of the three countries. There were remarkable places for sightseeing, the transportation system was good, and we also liked the food. We even did a safari in the Pendjari National Park in Northern Benin.

On a boat ride on lake Ganvie in Benin

Burkina Faso on the other hand was a bit tiresome – and Natascha suffered from a cold, which in combination with the dry harmattan wind led to frequent nose bleeding. Most impressive were Sindou Peaks and our visit to a Fetish master.

The Sindou Peaks in Burkina Faso are UNESCO World Heritage

On the way back from the Westafrica travel we had a long stopover in Lisbon and visited Sintra.

Top sightseeing highlight Sintra in Portugal, without the tourist crowds

March/ April

From the end of March we both worked as travel tour guides in Japan during the cherry blossom season. And we managed to start early for a relaxed sightseeing week without guests in Kyoto.

Sightseeing Highlight: The beautiful gardens of Kyoto

May/ June

Almost no travel at all – due to family matters we spent a lot of time in Munich – only managed a weekend sightseeing trip to Bologna from Munich by bus.

Romantic streets in Bologna on a sightseeing weekend

July

In July we travelled to Uzbekistan to update our Dumont Guidebook. As the tourist visa allows only for a maximum length of four weeks we were quite in a hurry to check all the tourist places. But we also went to some sightseeing spots new to us, like the shores of the Aral Sea.

Summer expedition to the shores of the Aral Sea

August

Originally we thought about hiking in the Alps in summer – but decided to stay at home in Berlin, just meeting friends and taking it slow.

Giant kites in the traveller capital of Berlin

September-November

September to November were dedicated to work: Isa writing up the Uzbekistan travel guidebook and several other assignments at home; Natascha tour-guiding in Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kirgizstan and Kazakhstan) and in Japan. We managed to squeeze in five days in Thessaloniki/ Greece, though.

Church of Agios Dimitros in Thessaloniki

December

In late November we left for 3 1/2 weeks of research for the new edition of our Dumont Egypt guide book, returning to Berlin just before Christmas. And this was the last trip for 2018. 

Egypt's top sightseeing: the Pyramids of Giza

We wish you all a very happy 2019 full of travels!

Dressing up in the Royal Palaces in Seoul

Heavy rain has set in when we reach the Gyeongbokgung Royal Palace in Seoul. A family dressed in the formal garb of Korean nobility is seeking shelter under the eaves of the palace. The traditional dress of the Yangban, a Korean noble or court official, consists of the characteristic hat traditionally made from horsehair with a bamboo frame (the rental ones are made from plastic...). The women wear hanbok, the Korean skirt that begins directly under the breast and bulges down with a lot of fabric. Some of them are holding umbrellas, and nearly all are holding smartphones to take family photos in the palace surroundings.

Gyeongbokgung Palace is one of five Royal Palaces in Seoul, originally built in the 14^th century but repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. The latest round of rebuilding is still going on, as about 80% of the palace buildings were systematically destroyed by the Japanese occupation forces in the early 20^th century. The Japanese even built their own government building in the place of the former palace. Now the Gyeongbokgung Palace is one of the top tourist attractions in Seoul, and not only Koreans but also busloads of South-Asian tourists rent royal costumes for their walk around the premises.

When we walk the palace grounds in the pouring rain, we are surprised to see most buildings labelled as "1860s", although they are built with concrete and we are quite sure that some of them didn't exist when we first visited more than 25 years ago.

The constant rebuilding and reinvention of Korean history is probably one reason why only another one of the five Royal Palaces in Seoul has made it onto the UNESCO World Heritage list: Changdeokgung was originally built in the 15^th century as a secondary palace. But when a Japanese invasion at the end of the 16^th century left the town and its palaces devastated, this one was the first the Korean kings rebuilt. They then proceeded to use Changdeokgung as the main Royal Palace for the next 200 years, and some members of the Royal Family even continued to live there until 1989.

The large throne hall with its ceremonial court is quite impressive – stone markers show on the courtyard where officials with the court ranks one or two should stand during ceremonies. Lower ranks were apparently not so much in attendance – there's fewer space allotted to them.

Behind the Changdeokgung throne hall, there are smaller buildings where the daily work of the government was done, and a residential building for the Korean king which was rebuilt after a fire in 1917, with electricity and some Western-style furniture. Nevertheless, many of the buildings in this palace appear to be quite old and look like from a different time, even those intended for the king's concubines that were in use until the 1980s. They all feature beautiful woodwork, especially in the latticed windows and doors, but also the banisters and eaves.

The whole Changdeokgung palace complex was built not on a large flat area like most palaces, but at the foot of a hill with some slopes. Thus, the halls are not arranged in one clear pattern but in accordance with the surrounding landscape and the topography, culminating in a pleasant stroll garden, the so-called "secret garden".

Even in this palace, however, we notice a whole area of densely arranged administrative buildings that were newly built in 2005 but made to resemble old buildings, and a number of the main buildings have modern and concrete elements that are not acknowledged in the information panels, so we always wonder what of this is old, what part is restored according to confirmed original plans, and which of the buildings are just a modern fantasy of what the Korean government currently wants their own country's history to look like.

Is it worth visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul?

Both palaces are impressive and popular with tourists. History buffs can skip the newly rebuilt Gyeongbokgung Palace, but it is good for photos. And although we have some concerns with the historical accuracy of the UNESCO rated Changdeokgung Palace, the buildings are beautiful and the design is stunning. On the whole, we liked the solemnity of the ancestor shrine, Jongmyo more, but the Korean Royal Palaces are more visually attractive.

How to travel to Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung Palace

Both Royal Palaces are in the centre of Seoul and close to metro stations. It is easily possible to walk between them (and also to Jongmyo Shrine).

NB: Our 10-day travel to Korea was not sponsored or supported in any way; all expenses were paid for by ourselves.

A visit to bulbous hills in the Gyeongju Historic Areas

The group of grassy, strangely globular hills in Gyeongju looks like an oversized playground but without slides and climbing frames. It is a rather unique sight, which we immediately remember from when we first visited the Royal Tumulus Park on a previous journey in 1992. Meanwhile, the Gyeongju Historic Areas have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list and we have come back to have another look.

On our journey on the fast KTX Train from Busan, we had a taste of the Korean high-tech shift in the past 25 years: We had reserved seats, but the train conductor never looked at our tickets. He just walked past, looking at his tablet and comparing which seats should be taken and which were supposed to be free. No need to disturb the passengers if everything appeared in order. Later we found out that an even more developed system worked when travelling on highway buses.

From the Gyeongju Train Station, we were quickly shuttled to the central sightseeing area on a local bus, and proceeded to explore the Royal tombs and some other historically important and UNESCO-listed areas. The route recommended by the tourist office was about 6 km. Many travellers rented bicycles, but as we had nearly the whole day we decided to walk – which worked out fine for us.

Until the 1970s, the tumulus tombs were still overgrown with grass and untouched – although it was obvious that the hills contained important tombs, the archaeologists were reluctant to open the tombs of previous kings. When they did eventually, they found a wall painting of a flying horse and golden crowns from the Silla period (around 6^th c AD). The Cheonmachong Tomb is now open for visitors, with a small exhibition of replicas from this find.

The sightseeing route then leads us to an ancient astronomical tower – a small stone structure from which you wouldn't see any star in South Korea's bright night sky today – to some more tumulus tombs, and to an old Confucian Temple near the Woljeonggyo bridge. This section is rather a relaxed countryside walk without amazing highlights. We cross the huge excavation site of the Wolseong Fortress – there's not a trace of fortress buildings to be seen, but a bunch of Korean archaeologists we meet assure us that they are going to discover more foundations and figure out where the actual castle was. They seem rather confident that there will be a reconstructed fortress here in a few more years.

For some more visual stimulation we make a detour to Anapji, a garden around Wolji Pond. Between Lotus flowers and fields, a number of open pavilions (now called the Eastern Palace, or Donggung) are strewn around a meandering pond. This makes for a nice stroll garden and some good views, although we are, as often during our Korea trip, not sure how much of this is really old and original.

One of the highlights of our sightseeing day in Gyeongju is the National Museum at the edge of town: There's much more to it than the golden crowns from the Royal tombs, but also a lot more golden grave goods, intricately decorated 5^th century pottery, and fantastic Buddhist statues. We also like the bird-shaped vessels from 3^rd century burials – they were used in the funeral rites, and presumably the deceased then hoped to fly to heaven with them.

Are the Gyeongju Historic sites worth visiting?

Definitely yes! The strangely shaped tombs are really unique and it is fascinating to imagine the old Silla culture thriving during the 1st - 10th century. It might be a good idea to start with the National Museum though, in order to acquire sufficient historical background for your walk.

***NB: Our 10-day visit to Korea was not sponsored or supported in any way; all expenses were paid for by ourselves. ***