Top Spots, 2024
Merzouga Berber Camp, Morocco
One of the many highlights during a tour of Morocco: a sojourn at this glam camp. Black tents and carpets greet the weary travellers; a cheerful camel driver leads a gleeful group over the sand dunes of Erg Chebbi. A splendid Berber buffet ensues. Drumming and dancing round the fire, sparks leaping into the clear night air. A quiet dreamless sleep. Awake with the dawn and scoot up a sand dune with a mug of coffee. A serene spot and a happy one.
The Mostar Bridge (Stari Most), Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
This slender lovely 16th century Ottoman bridge had to be rebuilt stone by stone after being bombed in 1993 and collapsing into the Neretva river beneath. Two fortified towers rise either end of it where the ‘Mostari’, gatekeepers, would have kept watch. Today young men leap off the hump of the bridge again, as in pre-war days, and tourists, like me, observe them from the restaurants, which are arrayed down the steep sides of the Neretva gorge, while we indulge in local foods and wines. A real gem of a spot.
Macedonia Square, Skopje, North Macedonia
This vast square, the main square in Skopje, is dominated by an enormous equestrian statue of Alexander the Great. The statue stands centre stage in line with Stone Bridge, the old Ottoman bridge over the Vardar river. At the other end of the bridge is another large, but non equestrian, statue of Philip II of Macedon, Alexander’s father. Alexander’s great plinth is surrounded by Macedonian soldiers and bronze lions. And close by are monumental buildings, a triumphal arch, and scores more statues. Looking down upon it all from Mount Vodno is a 66 metre tall cross, the Millennium Cross. Most of these monster buildings and statuary have been erected since the millennium ‒ not without controversy. But for me, it is a grand, spectacular and somewhat audacious spot.
Porto Pim, Faial, Azores
There being so many glorious places in the Azores islands that I have visited, it is tricky to pick out the top spot. But Porto Pim has to be one of the loveliest, as well as encompassing much of their captivating history. A harbour located in a volcanic crater, it was protected in the 17th century against pirates and invaders by defensive walls and a fort. At times it hosted ships from the Age of Discovery, whalers and a whaling factory. Now a pretty tourist spot with museums and cafés. A long sandy beach lies below a hill for hikers and looming up behind is the mountain of Pico bathed in sunlight.
Top Experience, 2024
Boating on the backwaters at Alleppey, Kerala, India
Some difficulty in my choice this year but choose boating on the kettuvallam (rice boat) in Kerala over camel trekking in Morocco. Perhaps because I handle a boat better than I do a camel. What an experience this was too: chugging along on a handsome old wooden boat on a lake festooned with pink lilies. Steering with the smooth teak wheel along the gently rippling water in the morning sunlight. Boats and birds all over the place, palm trees and paddy fields. Waited on hand and foot by a dedicated crew, and mouth-watering dishes. And the madding crowd far far far away.
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