Most
everyday experiences are lessons in the inevitable pull of the future: books
are replaced with e-books, laptops are replaced with tablet computers, billions
of dollars are replaced with trillions of dollars, fresh is replaced with
cling-wrapped. When travelling, however, you may find fragile environments that
have resisted the future. There you will experience a moment more concerned
with the present or the past and time will seem to stand still. Here are some
places to go and things to do for those times when you just want the world to
stop spinning for a while.
Mountain
gorillas, Rwanda & Uganda
Few
experiences compare to crouching within a whisper of the greatest of the great
apes and holding your breath because there’s nothing separating you from these
amazing animals except for a rather tangled family tree. This is all thanks to
the willingness of mountain gorillas in Rwanda‘s Parc National des Volcans and
Uganda‘s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to let you get close to them. You’ll
only spend an hour in the vicinity of the gorillas once you’ve tracked them in
their native jungle, but those 60 minutes will endure for a lifetime.
Bhutan
The Kingdom of Bhutan, known to its inhabitants as Druk
Yul (Land of the Thunder Dragon), is imagined by many outsiders to be a land
frozen in a highly traditional past. This is not true – a thoughtful programme
of modernisation began here 40 years ago. However, Bhutan’s culture is underpinned by
an ancient Buddhist mythology, emblemised by the ethereal dzongs (fort-monasteries)
of the Bumthang region. Combined with Bhutan’s extraordinary geography,
it’s this that brings visitors to a standstill while they’re trekking between
Himalayan peaks in the north, delving into deep central valleys, or roaming the
rolling southern hills.
Djenné Mosque,
Mali
The mosque
in the island-bound Mali
town of Djenné
seduces travellers with the mudbrick hue of its fortresslike exterior and the
large supporting cast of wooden beams that protrude through the walls into the
brilliance of the African sun. So captivating is this earthen marvel, the
world’s largest mud-brick structure, that it makes little difference to the
experience to learn that the current building only dates from 1907. It was
modelled on the Grande Mosquée erected on the same site in 1280; the original
building fell into ruin in the 19th century.
Amazon River,
Brazil
A slow trip
down the world’s second-longest river means unbearable monotony to some, but
glorious idleness and immersion in nature’s timelessness to others. To decide
for yourself, board one of the gaiolas (river boats) that navigate the
Brazilian Amazon between the interior settlement of Manaus
and the port of Belém. These boats get insanely crowded
and their open-sided nature (hence the name, which means ‘birdcage’) guarantees
exposure to fierce Amazonian rainstorms. But just climb into a hammock near the
railing, consign the sounds of boat life to background noise, and lose yourself
in the passing of the world’s greatest rainforest.
Antarctica
Travel to Antarctica is expensive. Getting there by boat also
involves a challenging sail across the Southern Ocean from bases like Hobart (Australia)
and isolated Punta Arenas (Chile). But
those who make the trip are rewarded with close-up views of the stunning cliffs
marking the extremities of ice shelves, mountainous icebergs, the wildlife of
the island-crowded Antarctic Peninsula, and
fierce sunsets that can last for hours. Notwithstanding the presence of other
cruiseship passengers, visitors also get to experience a glacial solitude that
freezes the present.
Serengeti
National Park by balloon, Tanzania
Imagine
being hoisted up into the sky at daybreak and sailing serenely over expansive
savanna plains dotted with wildlife, warmed by the rising sun and with only the
occasional sound of a burner to break the silence. Such is the experience
you’ll have in Tanzania‘s epic 1.5 million–hectare Serengeti National Park if
you forego the standard on-the-ground safari and opt instead for a hot-air
balloon odyssey over this African wildlife playground. The trip is at its most
dramatic in May and early June when massive herds of wildebeest and zebras
dodge predators during their annual migrations.
Mont
St-Michel, France
Mont
St-Michel is a mesmerising mix of town, castle, island and abbey. The
Benedictine abbey’s striking Gothic architecture was completed in the 16th
century and is surrounded by a village that is in turn surrounded by defensive
ramparts and towers, all of it perched on a large granite islet in the English
Channel that’s connected by a causeway to Normandy‘s shoreline. Mont St-Michel
is often rated as France‘s most visited attraction, hence its narrow streets
get absolutely jammed with pilgrims and other visitors. Some prefer to gaze at
it from a distance and meditate on the beauty of its silhouette against the
surrounding bay.
Swimming
with whales, Tonga
Between
June and November, humpback whales congregate in Tonga to mate and breed. Observing
the whales from the deck of a boat as they slowly frolic and occasionally slap
their flukes on the water’s surface is one thing. But strapping on a snorkel
and paddling amongst these majestic cetaceans is something else entirely,
particularly when a mother and calf are nearby. Swimming with whales is mostly
undertaken around the Vava’u and Ha’apai island groups.
Petra, Jordan
Petra
is an ancient city that was sculpted out of sandstone cliffs in the southern
deserts of Jordan
to become the capital of the Nabataeans. This staggering feat of rock-carving
is entered via the Siq, a narrow, high-walled gorge that leads directly to
Petra’s Treasury – the squeezed view of its elaborate façade from within the
Siq has to be one of the world’s most snapped photographs. Many visitors devote
themselves to the hillside tombs along Petra’s
one ‘street’. But for some quiet reflection and an awesome view, tackle the
more than 800-step climb up to the monastery.
Lhasa, Tibet
The name of
the Tibetan capital means ‘Holy City’, a fitting description for a city lodged in the
Himalayas at an altitude of about 3600m and
the spiritual centre of Tibetan Buddhism. The thin air will take your breath
away, but so will the incredible spectacle of the surrounding Himalayan peaks
and the golden-roofed Jokhang
Temple. And, unlike the
exiled Dalai Lama, you can also enjoy the serenity of Potala Palace.
Most beguiling, however, is the indomitable cheerfulness of the Tibetan people
amid the impositions of Chinese administration.
