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FEATURES

page 44

2016 Best in the U.S. List

Where in the U.S. should you go this year? Try one of our 10 great destinations.

page 74

Two Sides to Argentina

Explore the contrasting landscapes and cultures of Argentina, from the urban allure of Buenos Aires to the Patagonian plains, where gauchos roam.

page 64

The Culture of Laos

Squeezed between Thailand and Vietnam, Laos combines some of the best elements of Southeast Asia in one bite-size destination.

page 54

Iceland’s Magic Circle

The 830-mile Ring Road will take you full circle around Iceland’s breathtaking countryside.

Spring 2016 Volume 2 / Number 1

// Barista at Porchlight

Coffee & Records, Seattle

All prices correct at press

time. Prices for hotel rooms

are for double, en suite rooms

in low season, unless other-

wise stated. Flight prices are

for the least expensive round-

trip ticket. JOD

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“The real voyage of dis-

covery consists not in seeking

new landscapes, but in having

new eyes.”Marcel Proust

contentscontents

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easy trips

contents

// Olympic Sculpture Park,

Seattle

great escape p83An itinerary for exploring the gorgeous island of Sicily.

postcards p95Lonely Planet readers share their travel photos.

mini guides p101Buenos Aires

Eat your way through Argentina’s capital.

Croatia

Get to know the beach hot spot everyone is talking about.

Delhi

Discover historic sites, bazaars and delicious food in India’s capital territory.

Lisbon

Spend a night (or two) out on the town in Portugal’s hub.

Monaco

Do one of Europe’s glitziest, most expensive spots on a dime.

Hong Kong

Get the most out of a stopover in one of Asia’s most energetic cities.

JOD

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globetrotter p7

5 Spots

A global list of the hot spots you need to know about now.

10 New Ways

Fall in love with the Big Apple all over again.

Amazing Places to Stay

Hotels that feature the best of technology.

Arrivals

Travel news.

Inside Knowledge

A cruising expert tells how to make the most of shore excursions.

Gear

Family travel essentials.

What to Eat Celebrated chef Zoi Antonitsas on what and where to eat in Seattle.

easy trips p33Ideas for seven spring getaways, including Charleston, San Diego and Toronto.

ON THE COVER:

// A tuk-tuk passes Wat Mai, one of the largest Buddhist temples in Luang Prabang, Laos. Cover Photo by Matteo Colombo/Getty Images

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WELCOME TO T H E S P R I N G E D I T I O N O F LO N E LY P L A N E T .

This issue is packed full of fresh travel ideas, whether you’re planning

a family, couple or solo adventure. We’ve included exotic journeys to

places like Laos (p. 64), as well as let’s-book-them-now getaways, such

as our top 10 U.S. destinations (p. 44) for 2016. There are some interest-

ing picks on this year’s top 10 list, and I have to admit I was surprised by

a few, in a good way.

We are also highlighting some spots that have been on my personal

list for quite some time: Sicily (p. 83), Argentina (p. 74) and Iceland

(p. 54). I’ve become totally enchanted by Sicily’s beautiful beaches, the

Argentinian spirit (the country is celebrating 200 years of independence

this year) and the otherworldly landscapes of Iceland. If you’re anything

like me you’ll be furiously marking pages and taking notes on all three

destinations.

Actor and travel writer Andrew McCarthy (p. 116) joins us to talk

about his journeys. I loved learning about how he made a second (!)

career in travel, and I enjoyed reading his anecdotes about traveling with

his kids. We all see travel through diff erent fi lters, and it’s a joy to see it

through Andrew’s eyes.

Also in this issue . . . Eat with us in culturally diverse Seattle (p. 26),

plan a weekend to sunny Charleston (p. 37) or thrilling Toronto (p. 34),

learn all about how to take advantage of free time on shore while cruising

(p. 20), and much more.

Happy travels,

Lauren

@laurenrfi nney

Here’s to a season full of possibilities and discoveries.

Here I am doing the EdgeWalk at the CN Tower in To-

ronto – it’s 1,100 feet in the air! Clearly, I was terrifi ed.

Charleston, where I have family, has always been a place of continual discov-ery for me, whether through the city’s distinctive food, history or culture.

Our Argentina feature highlights the contrasting cultures of Buenos Aires and Patagonia.

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5 SPOTS TO TALK ABOUT RIGHT NOW

10 NEW WAYS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH NEW YORK

AMAZING PLACES TO STAY THAT HAVE GONE HIGH-TECH

ARRIVALS TRAVEL NEWS GEAR FOR FAMILY TRAVEL

INSIDE KNOWLEDGE HOW TO PLAN SHORE EXCURSIONS

WHAT TO EAT . . . IN SEATTLE

globetrotterglobetrotterA WORLD OF TRAVEL NEWS AND DISCOVERIES

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1. FIND A MOMENT OF PEACE IN A SECRET GARDEN.

Lush, quiet gardens are all over the city, but not

everyone knows where to fi nd them. A few of our

favorite spots of respite include the garden at Church

of St. Luke in the Field and Jeff erson Market Garden,

both in the West Village, and the New York Marble

Cemetery, in the East Village. If you’re in midtown

and need some silence, visit Tudor City’s two parks

on East 42nd Street, or Greenacre Park, on 51st Street.

• greenthumbnyc.com

2. VISIT A FOUNDING FATHER’S HOME.

Thanks to the Broadway smash Hamilton, there’s

been an enormous interest in the life story of Alex-

ander Hamilton, one of the United States’ founding

fathers (you might know him as the face on the U.S.

10-dollar bill). Born in the West Indies, Hamilton

came to NYC at age 17 to study at Kings College

The Highline, on the west side of Manhattan ILLU

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(now Columbia University). After serving as the fi rst

Secretary of the Treasury, he commissioned a house

in the area now known as Hamilton Heights. It was

fi nished in 1802, two years before Hamilton was fa-

tally wounded in a duel with Vice President Aaron

Burr. The renovated house is now a National Park

Service site at St. Nicholas Park.

• Admission is free; nps.gov/hagr

3. CHECK OUT BROOKLYN’S CHERRY BLOSSOMS.

Each April and May the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is

abloom with dozens of varieties of fl owering cherry

trees, making it one of the best blossom viewing sites

outside of Japan. Take a stroll through the Cherry

Esplanade and the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden

when the trees are in bloom.

• Admission $12 (free Tuesday and 10–noon Saturday);

bbb.org

Think you know all about the Big Apple?

Take another look. From spring cherry

blossoms in Brooklyn to craft beers in the

East Village, here are some lesser-known

ways to enjoy the city.

By Lauren Finney

10 NEW WAYS TO FALL IN LOVE WITH . . .

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EAT, DRINK AND BE

EAST VILLAGE MERRY.10

4. BOARD A TRAIN IN BLOOMINGDALE’S.

If you head to the sixth floor of Bloomingdale’s 59th Street

flagship location and walk through the housewares depart-

ment, you’ll find Le Train Bleu, a restaurant designed like

the luxury French night express train the Calais-Mediterranée

Express. Open since 1979, Le Train Bleu has stayed relatively

hidden as a mostly-locals spot to enjoy a delicious lunch or

brunch while taking a break from all the retail therapy.

• Entrees from $18; bloomingdales.com

5. GRAB BAKED GOODIES IN THE LOBBY.

Follow your nose to Arcade Bakery, in a Tribeca office build-

ing on Church Street and you’ll be rewarded with pains

au chocolat, babkas and other irresistible baked goods, all

made fresh in the lobby. A former ATM vestibule is now

the serving counter, and drop-down tables are tucked into

cozy wood-paneled cubbies – but can you make it that far

before devouring your baguette-dough pizza?

• Babka from $4, pizza from $9; arcadebakery.com

6. EXPERIENCE MAGIC AT THE WALDORF ASTORIA.

In an elegant suite of the storied Waldorf Astoria hotel,

Steve Cohen, aka The Millionaires’ Magician, is putting on

one of the best shows in Manhattan. Chamber Magic, featur-

ing Cohen’s mind reading tricks, sleights of hand and more,

will impress even the most skeptical of guests.

• Tickets from $85; chambermagic.com

The food at Jimmy’s No. 43

globetrotter

Next door to the build-

ing that was demolished

in the 2014 East Village

gas explosion is subter-

ranean watering hole

Jimmy’s No. 43, whose

kitchen was devastated

by the blast. Jimmy’s is a

real neighborhood joint,

full of dark wood, low

lighting and question-

able characters – and

excellent craft beers

and ciders. Adding to

the mix in an only-in-

New-York pairing is Tito

King’s

Kitchen,

a Thai

and

Filipino

street food venture

from chef King Pho-

janakong, now serving

out of Jimmy’s. Because

nothing goes together

like pork belly adobo

tacos and IPAs.

• Open from 2 p.m.

weekdays, from 1 p.m.

weekends; jimmysno43

.com

7. CELEBRATE CARNEGIE HALL’S 125TH YEAR.

On May 5 the historic concert hall will celebrate its 125th

anniversary with a gala and performances from renowned

artists including Renée Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, Jessye Norman

and James Taylor. Performances throughout the season

range from student recitals to the San Francisco Symphony.

Check the website for the schedule of public walk-in tours.

• Tour tickets $17; carnegiehall.org

8. VISIT AN URBAN ROOFTOP FARM.

Brooklyn Grange was formed in 2010 as an urban rooftop

farm and is now the world’s largest rooftop soil farmer,

producing over 50,000 pounds of organic produce per

year. Visit either of the two rooftop farms – in the historic

Brooklyn Navy Yard and just across the East River in Long

Island City.

• Farm tours $10; brooklyngrangefarm.com

9. GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH GANGSTERS.

The Museum of the American Gangster has only two rooms,

but the tour will take up to an hour given the curator’s ex-

tensive knowledge on all things mobster. The museum sits

above a former East Village speakeasy that Al Capone, Lucky

Luciano and John Gotti were known to frequent. Take a

tour of the speakeasy, then browse artifacts ranging from

bootlegger cash to tommy guns to vintage whiskey bottles.

• Admission $20; museumoftheamericangangster.org

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Brooklyn Navy Yard and just across the East River in Long

LONELY P L ANE T / S p r i n g 2 0 1 614

AmazingPlaces to StayWITH TECHNOLOGY

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VIRGIN HOTEL ÿ CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

TECH-SAVVY TOOLS: Those familiar with Virgin Airlines

won’t be surprised at everything that Virgin’s hotel

brand has to off er. Control your entire experience

with their Lucy app: check in via barcode, adjust your

room’s temperature from anywhere within the hotel,

use your mobile device as a TV remote control, order

room service, request housekeeping items and chat

with the concierge.

PLUS // Virgin has patented their Lounge Bed, which

features an ergonomically designed padded headboard

and a corner seat – helping guests work on the go.

They also have done away with fees for early check-in

and late checkout. Look for Virgin Hotels to open in

Dallas, Nashville and New York City next. From $225;

virginhotels.com

Terminal 1 connecting tunnel at Chicago’s O’Hare

International Airport

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ECCLESTON SQUARE HOTEL ÿ LONDON, ENGLAND

TECH-SAVVY TOOLS: Once the residence of Queen Victo-

ria’s granddaughter, Princess Victoria, the hotel is now run

by 20-something hotelier Olivia Byrne and her younger

brother, James, so it’s no surprise that the hotel is a millen-

nial’s dream. Electronically adjustable beds, iPads and mar-

ble bathrooms with “smart” glass walls and fog-free mirrors

with hidden TVs are just some of the amenities you’ll adjust

to quickly during your stay.

PLUS // Additional perks include afternoon tea brought to

your room, L’Occitane products and access to the private

Eccleston Square garden, opposite the hotel. There’s also a

new menu by chef Didar Papito for the restaurant Bistrot

on the Square. From $175; ecclestonsquarehotel.com

ELECTRONICALLY

ADJUSTABLE BEDS,

IPADS AND MARBLE

BATHROOMS WITH

“SMART” GLASS

WALLS AND FOG-

FREE MIRRORS WITH

HIDDEN TVS ARE

JUST SOME OF THE

AMENITIES YOU’LL

ADJUST TO QUICK-

LY AT ECCLESTON

SQUARE

HENN-NA HOTEL ÿ NAGASAKI, JAPAN

TECH-SAVVY TOOLS: “Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.” While tips to the staff ar-

en’t necessary, you might be inspired to off er that specifi c thank-you to the

desk clerk at Japan’s new Henn-na (Strange) Hotel, the world’s fi rst hotel

staff ed entirely by robots. In addition to three “warm and friendly”

multilingual front desk robots – including a dinosaur and a fe-

male android – the property has porter, bag check and in-room

concierge robots.

PLUS // Other high-tech features include facial recognition for room entry

and in-room tablet terminals for accessing hotel information and controlling

room features. The 72-room hotel, which opened in 2015 on the grounds of

theme park Huis Ten Bosch (House in the Forest), plans to double its num-

ber of rooms this year. From $75; h-n-h.jp/en

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HENN-NA HOTEL ÿ NAGASAKI, JAPAN

globetrotter

what to eat inseattle

ACCLAIMED CHEF ZOI

ANTONITSAS TAKES US ON

A TOUR OF HER HOMETOWN’S

ECLECTIC FOOD SCENE, FROM

FARMS, FOOD TRUCKS AND

TAVERNS TO THE BEST BRUNCH,

FINE DINING AND ETHNIC

RESTAURANTS.

BY LAUREN FINNEY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JODY HORTON

LP03216_GLB.indd 26 2/22/16 3:13 PM

westward’s braised ander-

son ranch lamb shoulder

with onion salad, tzatziki

and pomegranate molasses

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Pack & Play

Families travel together now more than ever. Here are essentials to take on your next road trip or plane ride.

globetrotter

Red Arrow Yucca Mat, $79 (fawnandcub.com). A cool diaper changing mat keeps your car clean and can be shoved out of the way under the seat, freeing up storage space.

Kikkerland Booklight Clothespin, $8 (kikkerland .com). This battery-operated book light is a great alternative to interior lights; it can also double as a miniflashlight.

Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 digital camera, $279.99 (getolympus.com).

Hydro Flask 12-oz. bottle, $21.99 (hydroflask.com). BPA-free stainless steel with a powder finish, these bottles keep beverages temperature-regulated all day and are ideal for small hands.

The Honest Co. four-pack wipes, $3.95 (honest.com). These plant-based natural wipes keep kids clean and are gentle enough for minor sticky spills.

IDEAL FOR

SMALL HANDS

WATERPROOF

SHOCKPROOF

FREEZEPROOF

DUSTPROOF

CRUSHPROOF . . .

KIDPROOF

PHOTO CREDIT GOES HERE

Caption goes herecaption caption caption caption

easy trips

Ready for a spring adventure?

Featuring

San Diego, California

Toronto, Ontario

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Charleston, South Carolina

and more!

QUICK ESCAPES FOR SPRING

// Sunset Cliffs, Ocean Beach, San

Diego. A city ordinance against cliff

jumping isn’t always a deterrent at

Sunset Cliffs, where locals have been

jumping for decades.

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No-hassle getaways

to help you bid farewell

to winter

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PUMP UP THE ADRENALINESurprise! Canada’s largest city has plenty for thrill-seekers.

With its towering skyscrapers and 5.5 million res-

idents, TORONTO is known as a center of com-

merce and culture, but it also has a variety of

activities for adventure-seekers. Whether you’re

an extreme adrenaline junkie or just looking for

a little rush, Ontario’s capital has thrills aplenty.

Knock this off your bucket list: walk 1,168 feet above

ground – that’s 116 stories – around the roof of one

North America’s tallest buildings. At the CN Tower’s

EdgeWalk ($195; edgewalkcntower.ca), daredevils

get harnessed in and take a 30-minute, “hands-

free” walk around a 5-foot-wide ledge.

It only lasts about eight minutes, but a tour with

Toronto Heli Tours will be eight minutes of pure

adrenaline 2,000 feet in the air. Tours start at Billy

Bishop Toronto City Airport; you’ll fly over the city’s

most iconic buildings, including the CN Tower, at

speeds averaging 100 miles per hour (from $99;

helitours.ca).

If you prefer being closer to the ground, try your

hand at ax throwing (batlgrounds.com), or feel the

wind in your hair during an electric bike ride on

Toronto’s shoreline (ezriders.ca/rentals).

easy trips Toronto,Ontario

GET THERE

If you can get a flight into Billy Bishop Toron-

to City Airport, on Air Canada or regional

airline Porter (flyporter.com), take it. The air-

port, on Toronto Island, gives you traffic-free

access to Toronto: it’s a short walk through a

pedestrian tunnel or a hop on a ferry to the

city proper.

STAY

To be in the middle of it all, you’ll have to

pony up. Try Le Germain Hotel (from $250;

germaintoronto.com), a boutique hotel in

the central entertainment district, or trendy

Thompson Toronto (from $229; thomp

sonhotels.com).

DO

You’ll have to work for your meal with

the Culinary Adventure Company. A chef

guides guests in a wooden canoe (you

have to help row) to the Toronto Islands

and prepares a gourmet picnic there. On

the way back, enjoy the stunning view of

the Toronto night skyline ($149 per person;

culinaryadventureco.com).

See Lonely Planet’s Canada guidebook and seetoronto now.com for more information.

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WALK ON THE EDGE // TOUR THE SKIES // THROW AN AX

FOR STUNNING

SCENIC VIEWS, VISIT THE

SCARBOROUGH BLUFFS, A

9-MILE STRETCH OF GLACIAL

CLIFFS ALONG THE LAKE

ONTARIO SHORE,

IN THE EAST END

OF TORONTO.

Scarborough Bluffs, Toronto

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UNPLUG & UNWIND

Just a 25-minute ferry ride from touristy Cancún

lies ISLA MUJERES (the Island of Women). This

oasis offers a much more low-key experience

than you’ll find at the mainland’s hotel zone (aka

ground zero for spring break revelers). On Isla

Mujeres you can bask in warm, shallow waters,

go snorkeling, visit Mayan ruins or do nothing

at all.

Head to Playa Norte (North Beach), the island’s main

beach, for sparkling, electric-blue waters and a crushed

coral beach. Playa Lancheros (Boatman’s Beach), on

the west side of the island, is another option and some-

times has free musical events on Sundays.

Take a tranquil stroll to Punta Sur on the southern

tip of the island to see a romantic lighthouse and Ixchel

ruins (about $1.75 admission), or try your hand at the

over-the-water zip line at Garrafon Natural Reef Park

(about $60; garrafon.com).

Even more remote is Isla Contoy, a national park

about 19 miles north of Isla Mujeres that allows only

200 daily visitors. The island is a sanctuary for more

than 150 bird species and is a nesting place for sea tur-

tles, while the nearby Ixlache Reef is teeming with ma-

rine life. Snorkeling tours can be booked through the

Fisherman’s Cooperative Booth on Isla Mujeres (about

$50 per person).

STAY

Na Balam Hotel (from $75; nabalam.com)

has 31 rooms, many facing Playa Norte, and

offers yoga and meditation classes. The

large, oceanfront Hotel Playa La Media Luna

(from $195; playamedialuna.com) offers

many traditional hotel services but main-

tains an intimate feeling.

DO

Bikes are a great way to get around the

island, with prices starting at about $7 a day.

Golf carts are also a popular way to travel

and can be rented for about $36 a day.

Do Mexico during spring break – without the spring breakers.

easy trips Isla Mujeres,Mexico

AT ISLA MUJERES

TURTLE FARM, 3 MILES

SOUTH OF TOWN, YOU

CAN SEE ENDANGERED

SEA TURTLES IN

VARIOUS STAGES OF

GROWTH AND LEARN

ABOUT THE ISLAND’S

EFFORTS TO PROTECT

THEM. YOU CAN ALSO

SEE OTHER OCEAN

CREATURES,

INCLUDING BABY

SEAHORSES ($1.75

ADMISSION).

GET THERE

Most major airlines fly to Cancún Interna-

tional Airport, with airport shuttles, bus-

es, taxis and vans running to downtown

($2–$30). Passenger ferries from Cancún to

Isla Mujeres depart from several locations,

including El Embarcadero, Playa Tortugas

and Playa Caracol. Ferry rates run about $4

to $7.50 per person.

The reef surrounding El Farito lighthouse is a popular snorkeling site. Below: Playa Norte

See Lonely Planet’s Mexico guidebook for more information.

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2016 Ready to explore some of the 3.8 million square miles in America’s 50 states? Here are 10 destinations to consider now. Some of them will surprise you.

BEST in the U.S.

Natchez, Mississippi

Yellowstone National Park

Birmingham, Alabama

Alaska

Northwest Arkansas

Somerville, Massachusetts

San Antonio, Texas

Southern New Mexico

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania1

LP032216_BUS.indd 45 2/19/16 12:39 PM

2016

BEST in the in the U.S. U.S.

America’s 50 states? Here are 10 destinations to consider America’s 50 states? Here are 10 destinations to consider

3

The National Park Service

turns 100 in 2016, and

where better to celebrate

than where it all began: in

the geyser-studded land-

scape of Yellowstone. The

eerily regular Old Faithful

geyser, the park’s biggest

draw, just got a springy new

boardwalk made from recy-

cled tires to accommodate

the millions of annual visi-

tors. But with nearly 3,500

square miles of wilderness

(mostly in Wyoming), it’s

not all about boiling steam

vents, bubbling mud pots

and psychedelic hot springs.

Go wolf-spotting in the

Lamar Valley, take a Wild

West tour by horseback or

stagecoach, zoom through

some the country’s best

snowmobile territory, and

explore the gateway towns,

including Gardiner, Mon-

tana, all gussied up for the

centennial.

nps.gov/yell

lptravel.to/Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park

Could Birmingham be the coolest city in the South? The once in-

dustrial Avondale neighborhood east of downtown has trans-

formed, with a surge of pubs, breweries and good eats, like the

drool-worthy barbecue and traditional Southern dishes at Saw's

Soul Kitchen (sawsbbq.com). Night owls take note: your nu-

merous options include Marty’s PM, a friendly bar packed with

comic book art and Star Wars memorabilia and featuring an

ecletic live music lineup, and beers in the Garage Café’s back-

yard junkyard (garagecafe.us). For history buffs, the place to go

is the Civil Rights District, notably the Civil Rights Institute, the

16th Street Baptist Church and the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

birminghamal.org

lptravel.to/Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama4

3 Bison along the Firehole River, at Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park

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1. Drive the rugged 414-mile

Dalton Highway, one of only

two roads in North America to

cross the Arctic Circle.

2. Explore Wrangell-St. Elias

National Park & Preserve. For

every eight tourists who track

north to Denali, only one intrepid

traveler tackles this little-known

wilderness area.

3. Visit Nome, on the ice-encrust-

ed shores of the Bering Strait.

Most visitors arrive in early

March to cheer the end of the

Iditarod dog-sled race, but ded-

icated wilderness birders prefer

June and November.

4. Take the summer-only ferry

MV Tustumena to the elongat-

ed Alaska Peninsula and the

barren, windswept Aleutian

Islands that lie beyond.

Extremes of Alaska

“The Last Frontier” state is

one of the few places in Amer-

ica where you can still get up

close to nature’s extremes.

Alaska5

Last year during a tour of Alaska, President Obama became

the first sitting president to cross the Arctic Circle. Why not

follow in his footsteps? If you don’t care to venture quite that

far north, visit Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley),

North America’s tallest peak. Experienced mountaineers can

ascend on foot; others can view the 20,310-foot-high moun-

tain in style from the Denali Star train or bump through the

Denali National Park & Preserve by bus. The bittersweet rea-

son to go to Alaska now: glaciers – see them while you still can.

Exit Glacier, at Kenai Fjords National Park, receded 187 feet be-

tween 2013 and 2014. Also, this year is the 100th anniversary

of the death of America’s favorite chronicler of the north, Jack

London. Let 2016 be the year you heed the call of the wild.

travelalaska.com

lptravel.to/Alaska

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Volcanic rock formations in

Suðurland (South Iceland)

EXPLORE ICELAND’S ELEMEN-

TAL BEAUTY ON A JOURNEY

ALONG THE COUNTRY’S 830-

MILE RING ROAD, TAKING

IN HAUNTING LAVA FIELDS,

WILD COASTLINE, POWERFUL

WATERFALLS AND MAJESTIC

ICE CAPS.

By Oliver Berry

The The The The Magic Magic Magic Magic

By Oliver Berry

Magic By Oliver Berry

CircleMagic CircleCircleMagic Magic CircleCircleMagic

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(WATERFALL

OF THE GODS)

rips through

the Bárðardalur lava field

in North Iceland’s Mývatn

region.

t’s midmorning on Iceland’s east coast, but it might as well be midnight. Fog cloaks the road, blending land, sea and sky into a spectral gray. Now and then, black peaks materialize from the gloom, and slashes in the cloud reveal sudden glimpses of coastline: rocky cliffs, grassy dunes and wild beaches of black sand. Gulls bank and wheel in the wind. It’s like driving into a whiteout. Or at least it would be, if it weren’t for the fact that it’s still midsummer, and the first snows are still months away.

Wild weather is par for the course on Iceland’s Ring Road – or Route 1, as it’s designated on highway maps. Circling around the island’s coastline for 830 miles, the road, completed in 1974, is an engineering marvel and a national emblem.

Skimming the edge of the Arctic Circle at a latitude of 65° N – the same as central Siberia – the Ring Road is about as close to wilderness driving as Europe gets, tra- versing volcanic deserts, mountain passes, plunging valleys and barren plains. Gas stations are few and far between. Often, the only signs of habitation are remote farms and weather stations. It’s not unusual to go for hours without passing another car – perhaps not surprising on an island of just 320,000 people scattered across an area about the size of Virginia.

Naturally enough, all distances along Route 1 are measured from Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík. Even here, among the art galleries and pubs, hints of Iceland’s wilder side are easy to find. Looking north across the bay of Faxaflói, a craggy finger of land extends along the horizon, terminating in the snow-capped summit of Snæfellsjökull, the setting for Jules Verne’s classic adventure tale, Journey to the Center of the Earth. The volcano remains a brooding presence as the Ring Road heads north from Reykjavík’s suburbs, a reminder that the forces of nature are never far away.

Verne wasn’t the first writer to find inspiration among the fjords and valleys of Iceland’s west. To Icelanders, this area is synonymous with the sagas, the tales that are a cornerstone of Icelandic culture. First written down by historians in the 12th and 13th centuries, but rooted in an older tradition of oral storytelling, these tales of family feuds, doomed heroes, warrior kings and tragic romances are part genealogy, part

history, part drama. Many Icelanders can read the sagas in Old Norse, and some can recite passages by heart, just as their ancestors did centuries ago.

“The sagas are still part of Icelandic culture,” says Sigriður Guðmundsdóttir, who runs the Settlement Centre, a museum in the coastal village of Borgarnes, 45 miles north of Reykjavík. “They’re Iceland’s first novels. They record our history, but also remind us who we are. They’re about self-reliance, fortitude, honor and stoicism. These are very Icelandic qualities.”

As the Ring Road swerves inland across the humpbacked hills northwest of Borgarnes, it passes many locations from the sagas: a farmstead featured in Egil’s Saga, and a hot spring where the hero of Grettir’s Saga soothed his battle-weary bones. While most of the stories are rooted in fact, many have a fantastical streak that stems from Iceland’s collection of myths and legends: strange tales of trolls, giants and dragons, as well as the island’s huldufólk (hidden folk) of gnomes, dwarfs, fairies and elves. Many locals still believe in the existence of these creatures – though they’re reluctant to admit it – and there are stories about bad luck befalling people who unwittingly disturb the huldufólk.

“Icelanders are very practical,” says Stefan Boulter, an artist who lives in Akureyri, Iceland’s second-largest town, set beside a coastal inlet 240 miles north of Reykjavík. “But we also have a dreamlike side too. "I suppose it’s not surprising we have active imaginations. So would you if you spent half the year in the dark,” he says, referring to Iceland’s long winter nights from October through April, when there are only brief spurts of daylight.

Iceland’s legends were also an important inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien, a scholar of Old Norse and the sagas. “The Lord of the Rings films may have been filmed in New Zealand, but they should have been made in Iceland,” says Fjóla Guðmundsdóttir, who works at the Glaumbær turf houses near Skagafjörður, a deep coastal fjord between Akureyri and Borgarnes. Many Tolkien enthusiasts believe Iceland’s turf houses, built from peat bricks topped by grass roofs, may have given Tolkien the idea for Bilbo Baggins’ underground home, Bag End. They certainly resemble hobbit

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U N D E R

Laos is Southeast Asia’s most overlooked country – an

enigmatic nation shaped by powerful external forces,

where mid-20th-century monuments sit alongside an-

cient Buddhist temples, and snails and frog legs are on

the menu. BY MARCEL THEROUX

Buddhist monks in Luang

Prabang; Opposite: gather-

ing alms at daybreak

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On a narrow terrace overlooking the

wide, brown Mekong River, a doz-

en men are gathered in the shade of

a bamboo thicket to play a game that

is distinctly French. Pétanque, pro-

vincial France’s lawn bowling game, is

an obsession in Luang Prabang, the

jungly second city of the tiny nation

of Laos. The players – guides, teach-

ers, tuk-tuk drivers – compete fiercely,

launching the steel balls with an abrupt

backhand throw that resembles a cobra

strike. “Everyone plays,” explains Som

Phon, one of the spectators. “You let

go of all your stress, your suffering.”

Poor, weak and landlocked, Laos

has had its history determined by pow-

erful outside forces: France, Thailand,

Vietnam, China – even Russia and the

United States. Each of them has left

some mark on this nation.

A few miles from the pétanque

court, 40-year-old Pon Panyatip is

hard at work kneading risen dough

and shaping it into baguettes. His up-

per body is toned from turning out

3,000 batons a day. As fast as he can

make it, the dough is deposited in the

wood-fired oven. Isn’t he fed up with

the sight of baguettes by now? He

shakes his head. “Sometimes I eat them

in the morning and the evening. I have

them with butter, chili, dried beef or

shrimp paste.”

France governed Laos as a pro-

tectorate for more than half a centu-

ry, until 1954. The customs, food and

language here are subtly marked by

the vanished French presence, but

the country’s most distinctive Gal-

lic inheritance is in its architecture.

The heart of Luang Prabang is a fin-

ger-shaped promontory that sits at

the confluence of the Mekong and the

Nam Khan rivers, and it is where the

French supervised the construction

of long, leafy avenues of whitewashed,

two-story houses.

Vientiane deposed Luang Prabang

as capital of Laos in 1563, but the lat-

ter is by far the more beautiful. Luang

Prabang still has the somnolent green

charm that originally attracted the

French. It is bewitching and quiet; at

dusk, the streets are empty of cars. The warm breeze carries the jas-

mine-like scent of teak flowers. The jungle envelops the city, and the

Mekong flows south, bearing your troubles away.

Under the French, Luang Prabang was a backwater that attracted

a certain kind of unambitious, pleasure-seeking official. The writer

Norman Lewis, a visitor here, said they seemed like the outcome of

successful lobotomy operations – “untroubled and mildly libidinous.”

Some of the French couldn’t tear themselves away after Laos became

independent. Yannick Upravan’s grandfather, Henri, was a French sol-

dier who traveled from Marseilles to serve in the First Indochina War

(1946–54). “He came to fight and kill, but he fell in love. It happened a

lot like this,” says Yannick, a youthful green-eyed 40-something. Henri

never went home.

Today, Yannick is the chef-proprietor of L’Elephant, a restaurant in

an art deco corner building, which once belonged to his grandmother,

a Laotian woman who married Henri and bore him six children. Its

shady interior is a respite from the midday sun. The scent of frangipani

blows through the shutters from the Wat Nong Sikhounmuang temple

across the road.

Yannick’s menu is classic French, with nods to his Laotian heritage:

he serves an estouffade (stew) of Mekong perch, and duck with a sharp

sauce made from bael fruit instead of orange. He imports snails and

much of his wine from France, but sources his grenouilles (frogs) in

Laos. “The Lao also eat frog,” he explains, “but they eat the whole thing:

head, legs, skin and body.”

The French were neither the first nor the last to leave their cultural

stamp here. This is a place where global forces have collided: it’s been

the meeting point of Hinduism and Buddhism; the buffer between the

French and British empires; and it’s where the Soviet Union and the

United States faced off in a proxy war.

When the French arrived in the 19th century, Laos was frag-

menting and falling into the hands of Siam – today Thailand. The

French propped up the Lao monarchy, stitched the fragile king-

dom together, and built the royal family a palace in Luang Prabang.

Vietnamese-backed Marxist rebels later overthrew the government

of Laos in 1975. The king was deposed, ending a 600-year royal dynas-

ty. The country has been a communist one-party state ever since. The

king, his queen and his heir were sent into internal exile for “re-ed-

ucation.” They never returned. How and when they died is still the

subject of much speculation. A few royals still live in Luang Prabang.

The daughter of the crown prince runs the Villa Santi hotel, though,

perhaps understandably, she keeps a low profile.

Fifty-eight-year-old Hongkad Souvannavong was one of those charged

with creating unifying symbols for the People’s Democratic Republic.

Trained as an architect in Moscow and Cuba, he was tasked with de-

signing Laos’s National Assembly building in 1990. I meet him in the

capital, Vientiane. It takes about an hour to fly there from the airport in

Luang Prabang, whose curving Asiatic roofs are another of Hongkad’s

creations. Vientiane is a hazy, sprawling city on the Mekong. There is

more communist iconography in evidence, and the mishmash of styles

hints at a city with an identity crisis.

Dressed in a loud silk jacket, with a bejeweled Rolex on his wrist,

Hongkad is upbeat and energetic. A polymath, he also invents musical

Opposite:

Coffee and pain

au chocolate at

a café in Luang

Prabang; River-

boats are still a

popular form of

intercity travel

in Laos.

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ntina

FROM THE WILD PATAGONIAN PLAINS, WHERE

GAUCHOS ROAM, TO COSMOPOLITAN BUENOS AIRES,

THE POLO CAPITAL, THIS IS A LAND OF CONTRASTING

PEOPLE, CULTURES AND LANDSCAPES.

By Orla Thomas / Photographs by Philip Lee Harvey

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Clockwise from top left:

Panama-style hats are de rigeur.

// colorful buildings in Buenos

Aires // a player for the Chap-

aleufû polo team // beer o’clock

in Palermo Viejo

tBUENOS AIRES

Two horses with clipped manes thunder from the shadow

of a tall building that’s cast across a perfect lawn. They

gallop flank to flank, their mahogany coats gleaming with

sweat in the spring Buenos Aires sunshine. The riders grip

tightly with their knees as they raise mallets aloft and

descend on the ball, like cavalrymen charging into battle.

With a deft flick of the hand, leaning at an angle so acute

he seems almost certain to fall, one of the players sends

the ball sailing through the air.

The Campo Argentino de Polo in the Palermo district,

the “Cathedral of Polo,” is where the sport’s most

prestigious tournament, the Argentine Open, takes place

each November and December. This stadium is to polo

players what Wembley is to soccer players and rock stars.

But for some, the show doesn’t really begin until the day’s

final game has been played, and the spectators descend on

the champagne bars and hospitality tents lining a long

promenade between two grounds.

Essentially a catwalk, at dusk it fills with polo groupies.

Deeply tanned women showing off their cosmetic

enhancements vie for attention with leggy off-duty

models hired to promote the event’s sponsors by striding

about in branded T-shirts, matching hot pants and

towering platform shoes. Men mostly sport floppy mid-

length hair, Ralph Lauren shirts and blazers, and leather

loafers. The trouser of choice for both sexes is a pair of

tight white jeans, proudly announcing the wearer’s

invariably tiny bottom.

It is a look made famous by the cover of English author

Jilly Cooper’s racy novel, Polo, and the wealthy set she

fictionalized is much in evidence here. Polo is known as a

pursuit for the very rich. In a single game, one player uses

around eight ponies; the best sell for up to $150,000 apiece.

Add to this the cost of transporting a stable and grooms

along the annual global polo circuit (Britain and

continental Europe during the northern hemisphere

spring and summer, then on to Argentina and Palm

Beach), and you get a feel for the sums involved.

Carolina Beresford is an insider in this world. She

works for the polo news website PoloLine, and is waiting,

mic in hand, to interview players from the winning team,

Alegría. A striking Chilean-Irish redhead, she has lived in

Argentina for seven years and comes from a family of polo

players; her uncle, Gabriel Donoso, was Chile’s greatest

ever, although he was fatally injured in a match in 2006.

“It’s an incredibly dangerous game – and an incredibly

difficult one,” Beresford says. “Winning is more down to

the horses than the players, but managing them is a real

skill; it’s so fast, and you’re relying on a living creature. A

horse is not like a car; they’re unpredictable. Players spend

more time with their horses than with their wives . . . and

I’m not kidding.”

LP032216_ARG.indd 76 2/19/16 11:38 AM

The Campo Argentino de Polo in the Palermo district,

final game has been played, and the spectators descend on

WHERE TO STAY

You’d be hard-pressed to find something more hip than Home Hotel, in the desirable Palermo Hollywood neigh-borhood. The stylish property offers excellent service and has a gorgeous back garden (from $215; homebuenos

aires.com).

WHERE TO EAT

For a traditional parrilla (Argentine steakhouse) that’s impressive but still fairly priced, try Don Julio (parrilla

donjulio.com.ar).

Chan Chan is an arty Peruvi-an joint serving ceviche and rice dishes worth the wait; closed Mondays (4382-8492).

A traditional bodegón (similar to a bodega) serving cortado (coffee with steamed milk) and tapas, El Preferido de

Palermo was a favorite of literary local Jorge Luis Borges (4774-6585).

In Argentina, polo isn’t entirely the exclusive sport

it is in other countries. Anyone can turn up at the stadium

and buy an inexpensive ticket for the stands, where people

keep cool with beer and ice cream, and hold aloft home-

made banners for their favorite teams. “Here, the top

players are magazine cover stars, and taxi drivers know

their names,” Beresford says. “It’s not like England,

where it’s a more niche sport, associated with elitism

and snobbery.”

Argentines are the undisputed kings of polo – claim-

ing seven out of the eight players in the world with the top

handicap of 10 goals – but the reason they’re so good is a

sim-ple one, Beresford says. “In Argentina, the access to

horses is above anywhere else. In the countryside, kids fin-

ish school and get straight on a horse; they live and breathe

that life.”

A GAUCHO RACES TO THE GATE

There is palpable excitement as players start to mingle with

spectators on the promenade – some are still in uniform,

their white polo jeans sullied by grass stains. Victors are

offered glasses of Chandon sparkling wine; losers receive a

commiserating kiss – one peck, right cheek to right cheek,

the local standard. People chat and flirt in Spanish and

English until they are cast into shade and start trickling

toward the beelike black-and-yellow taxis waiting at the

stadium gates.

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great escapeSICILY

Historic architecture, hilltop towns, fabulous food:

Sicily is Italy in overdrive. TAKE A TRIP AROUND THIS

MESMERIZING CORNER OF THE COUNTRY, from Mount

Etna’s volcanic slopes to the black beaches of the

Aeolian Islands. / BY OLIVER BERRY

The beach at Pollara on the

island of Salina, one of the

seven Aeolian Islands off the

coast of Sicily

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Work on the

Chiesa di San Michele

began around 1700

but was not completed

for another

150 years.

LP032216_GES.indd 86 2/19/16 11:03 AM

postcardsThe Registan ensemble was the main reason we were drawn to

travel around Central Asia. I have been to many countries and

rarely does my mouth drop open. The Registan was an exception.

The mosaic fascias and turquoise and azure blues of the domes lit

up by the sun were just breathtaking. This was one of the most

stunning sights I have ever seen.

Aaron Morris

spent three

weeks in four

of Central

Asia’s “’stans.”

WHERE

YOU’VE

BEEN

AND

WHAT

YOU’VE

SEEN

SAMARKAND, UZBEKISTAN Domes Day

Send your best new

travel photos (at 300 dpi),

along with the stories

behind them (in 100 words

or less), and a photo of

yourself to postcards

@lonelyplanet.com.

LP032216_PCD.indd 95 2/19/16 11:00 AM

S p r i n g 2 0 1 6 / LONELY P L ANE T 101

mini guides6 TEAR-OUT

LP032216_MIG.indd 101 2/19/16 10:59 AM

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