Not many may know this, but the famous musician and Queen front man, Freddie Mercury, was actually born Farouk Bulsara to Parsi parents. While he spent years studying in Bombay, it was in Stone Town, Zanzibar that this showman spent most of his childhood. In Shangani, where Mercury was born and later returned before leaving to London at the age of 18, the Bulsara family home still stands, now labelled ‘Mercury House’. It’s not open to the public, but Zanzibar Gallery, also where Mercury once lived, sells a bunch of souvenirs and no doubt a Freddie Mercury t-shirt or two in this Freddie-obsessed town.
Visitors to the Tanzanian archipelago can also visit the Zoroastrian temple where the Bulsara family once worshipped. A number of tours offer the chance to trace his footsteps along Shangani’s streets, connecting you to the life of Freddie before he was Freddie. Plus, no visit is complete without a stop at the gimmicky-named Mercury Restaurant.
You possibly don’t know a whole lot about Sudan, but this is a country blessed with an extraordinary history and culture. Did you know, for instance, it has three times the number of pyramids found in Egypt?
A new history-focussed tour by Arcadia Expeditions – Sudan: The Three Niles – digs deep into this extraordinary and enigmatic country and explores its rich archeological sites and fascinating antiquity.
Lead by acclaimed historian, filmmaker and photojournalist David Adams, the expedition delves deep into the story of the Three Niles and the incredible cultures that grew around them.
History and culture buffs will be frothing as David explores the ancient course of the Yellow Nile, the Napatean fortress of Ghala Abu Hamed, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites of Meroe and Jebel Barkal.
You’ll witness Sufi whirling dervishes, attend a Nubian wrestling match and get a behind-the-scenes tour of the National Museum.
Once all the artefacts have been studied, there’s downtime on Sudan’s rarely visited Red Sea coast aboard an Italian-owned schooner, where the days are spent exploring remote islands and pristine reefs.
The New York Theatre Workshop is an intimate performing arts theatre noted for its quality production of new works by several now well-known playwrights and located on funky East 4th Street.
Jonathan Larson’s Rent was developed and first performed here. It’s part of Downtown’s Theater Row and offers neighbourhood and cultural events throughout the year. The theatre is an excellent opportunity to see raw talent at its best or you may even be lucky enough to see a real celebrity honing their craft. James Bond’s Daniel Craig appeared in Othello at the NYTW to rave reviews.
NYTW also has an impressive selection of masterclasses, workshops, artist residencies and fellowships. You could do a lot worse than attending an artists’ summer residency in NYC.
Located on the hip Lower East Side that’s bustling with bars and restaurants it would make perfect sense to have a bite before a show or finish with a nightcap.
South of legendary party town Acapulco you’ll find Playa Ventura, a fishing village with a perfect golden arc of sand. The area sees just a smattering of visitors, including the turtles who lay their eggs on some protected parts of Casa de Piedra Beach, so it’s perfect if you’re after sunshiny days and quiet nights. Catch a wave off the shore, watch the pelicans diving for fish or stare out to sea looking for dolphins, Playa Ventura is one of those beaches you need to get lost to find.
As the sun sets locals cook fresh seafood on barbecues and cold Corona’s are sold at local prices.
Once the sun is down make your way to one of the few bars in the main square. Here you’ll find yourself mixing with the locals hopefully with a local band looking after the soundtrack.
Everest and Mont Blanc are synonymous with hiking glory but the Rila Mountains in Bulgaria are not only in league with these champions, they’re also far less trodden. Settle in with a guided tour of Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, followed by a light walk up Vitosha Mountain for spectacular city views. From here, the challenge begins.
Navigate woodland to the glittering Strashnoto and Urdini lakes; scramble to the summit of Mount Musala, the Balkans’ highest peak at 2925 metres, where rugged green vistas stretch for miles; and scale the rocky trails of Mount Malyovitsa, bunking down at the legendary Ivan Vazov mountain refuge for the night. Make your final descent to the tenth-century Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and wander among its striking architecture and art while giving thanks for Mother Nature’s incredible creations.
Quaff the finest wines on a cycling adventure through the motley landscape of South Africa’s wine regions as you peddle past desert dunes, forested mountains and sapphire waters. The circular route, beginning in Cape Town, will see you ride along tarmac roads – with a couple of climbs thrown in – to the famed Boschendal Winery and sampling a drop or two from one of the 29 cellars located at Rosenview Winery in Stellenbosch.
Other highlights include standing on Cape Agulhas, South Africa’s southernmost point; sinking local beers at the Birkenhead brewery; spotting southern right whales in Hermanus; and cycling one of South Africa’s most jaw-dropping circuits, the Cape Argus route. In the evenings, kick back in your comfortable lodge and toast to a day well spent.
In a bid to escape the bedlam of Los Angeles, a move to Berlin in the late 70s would be a pivotal experience for David Bowie. While living on Haupstrasse in the quiet district of Schöneberg, he once described his experience of the city to Uncut magazine as a place of “virtual anonymity” and could often be found popping into cafe Neues Ufer for an espresso. The cafe’s name means ‘The New Side’ (formerly it was Anderes Ufer, aka ‘The Other Side’). Coincidence? We think not. During his self-imposed exile, he penned the enduring hit Heroes, which was inspired by a young couple kissing against the Berlin Wall, a moment he was said to have witnessed from a window in Kreuzberg’s Hansa recording studio (he would later reveal the couple was his producer, Tony Visconti, and his girlfriend).
Today, Neues Ufer is one of Berlin’s oldest gay cafes and retains its original ambience, with the addition of a few photos of the famous rockstar. Join the Bowie Berlin Walk by Berlin Music Tours where you’ll discover his other haunts in the Kreuzberg and Mitte districts before finishing off with a bevvy at this enduring favourite.
If you were asked to make a wish list of tropical island destinations, chances are Japan would not be on it. That’s about to change as word spreads about Okinawa, a string of hundreds of islands stretching almost a thousand kilometres from the southern-most tip of the mainland toward Taiwan.
Miyako Island is at just about the centre point, favoured with long stretches of white sand like Aragusuku and Yonaha-Maehama beaches. It has many of the same natural attractions as everyone’s favourite beach destinations, like Thailand and Hawaii, but with a fraction of the crowds. It’s also a major destination for snorkelling and diving in the coral reefs…and don’t forget to sample the Miyakojima cuisine, start with the Miyako soba, and finish with the Miyako beef.
Forget Eat, Pray, Love – if anyone has inspired a pilgrimage to India’s ashrams, it’s The Beatles. Chaurasi Kutia, the ashram of guru and creator of transcendental meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whom the group was so enamoured by, was the holy site where the band famously spent weeks penning songs that would eventually fill the vinyl of the White Album.
While it’s rumoured the Beatles left shortly after they arrived (Ringo Starr left after just 10 days, while Paul McCartney only stayed for a month) this ashram is a famous part of the Beatles’ history. Until recently, the abandoned buildings – like the Beatles Cathedral Gallery, which was brought to life by the art of street artist Pan Trinity Das – had been reclaimed by the surrounding wilderness. In 2015, the grounds were reopened to the public and are now run by the forest department.
Also called 108 Ashram, Chaurasi Kutia, is located in an area known as “Ground Zero” which is surrounded by ashrams and temples and is rich with history and culture from the centuries old tradition of famous yogis and rishis attending pilgrimages and retreats.
Travel north from the main island of Efate and you’ll discover Penama province and its jewel Maewo. With its rivers, waterfalls and an abundance of postcard-perfect tropical scenery, it’s an island the Ni-Vanuatu people refer to as the “untouched of the untouched paradise”.
From above, it looks like an emerald dropped into the blue ocean, so remote that it’s hard to imagine anyone actually living here. As you descent to the tiny airstrip, you’ll spy waterfalls splashing over cliffs and some thatched roofs emerging through the jungle near the sea.
Your guide will meet you at the door of the plane with a smile and a warm welcome handshake and the walk inland begins. You’re heading towards Naone, Vanuatu’s second tallest waterfall. The bush is dense, damp and cooler than the exposed airstrip. A path that has to be negotiated rock by rock extends upriver .
Eventually you’ll hear a deep, thunderous sound and see a massive amount of water cascading from the rocks. While the height may only be 20 metres or so, the waterfall is wide, full and more imposing than you might have expected. The pool beneath the cascade is inviting and you’ll be welcomed in by a few locals already cooling off.
After a good dip and chat climb further up the rocks to an elevated spot from which to jump. Take care because the rocks are slippery and green with algae. Make it to the top, though, and you’ll feel like the king of the castle as fond childhood memories come flooding back. Take your stance and count – one, two, three – before plunging into the water below. It’s worth the hike up and the nostalgia will drive you to jump again and again.
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