National Geographic Traveller (UK)
ASK THE EXPERTS
NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP? ARE YOU AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS, TIPS AND GUIDANCE? OUR EXPERTS HAVE THE ANSWERS…
Can you suggest an itinerary for a week-long culinary tour of Malaysia? Shaped by centuries of cultural exchange, Kuala Lumpur provides the ideal introduction to Malaysia’s multilayered gastronomy. Start exploring at Kitchen by OpenHouse, which serves up pan-Malaysian dishes such as asam pedas (fish in an aromatic sweet-sour stew) inside the capital’s international airport. From here, take the airport express train to Chinatown and sit down for homey Peranakan-style classics in Old China Cafe. Try the chicken with nasi lemak (spicy coconut rice) or pop around the corner to The Hungry Tapir for a vegan-friendly spin on staples such as satay meat skewers with peanut sauce. The rooms at Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur offer stunning city-centre views. From RM820 (£138), B&B. openhouse.my oldchina.com.my facebook.com/thehungrytapir shangri-la.com
Two hours north by train, Ipoh, the state capital of Perak, is one of Malaysia’s most charming food cities. From the pearlescent Moorish train station, it’s a short walk to the Old Town and the buzzy cafes of Concubine Lane. Drop off your bags at boutique property Belakang Kong Heng by Dreamscape — covered in a tangle of climbing plants — and sit down for Portuguese egg tarts and Ipoh white coffee at Nam Heong, the coffee house where the popular brew was invented. From RM100 (£17), room only. facebook.com/ belakangkongheng instagram. com/namheongipoh
Hop back on the train and carry on north to Penang. The island is a pilgrimage site for food-lovers, thanks to its revered multi-ethnic cuisine, perhaps best exemplified by nasi kandar (richly spiced curries served on a bed of rice). Don’t be fooled by the scruffy exterior — Tajuddin Hussain, on Little India’s Queen Street, is one of the best restaurants to try it in George Town. After you’ve explored the capital’s produce markets and learnt how to craft your own nasi lemak during a cooking class with Nazlina Hassin, wind down at the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, overlooking the glimmering waters of the Penang Strait. From RM700 (£118), B&B.
East Travel has food-focused private tours leaving from Kuala Lumpur and ending in Penang from £1,185 per person, excluding flights. nazlinaspicestation.com eohotels.com eastravel.co.uk MARCO FERRARESE
My upcoming cruise stops at Canadian and US ports. Can you provide information on entry requirements for both? If you’re entering Canada by air to join the cruise ship, you’ll need an eTA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) for Canada and an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) for entry to the US as you cross the border to Alaska.
If you’ve travelled to Cuba since 12 January 2021, or to
Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since March 2011, you’ll not be eligible for an ESTA for the US and will have to apply for a B-2 visitor visa instead. This involves a face-to-face interview and will cost you $185 (£145). Assuming you qualify, both visa waiver schemes are easy to apply for and usually quick to get, although you shouldn’t leave it until the last minute. The Canadian eTA costs just C$7 (£4) and is valid for multiple trips for up to five years, or until your passport expires. An ESTA for the US costs $21 (£16.90) and is valid for multiple entries over two years. Your passport will need to be valid for at least six months from the date of your departure from either country. esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta canada.ca
Only use the official websites to apply for both, as scams are common and you could end up overpaying. Authorisations are confirmed by email and while both will be automatically associated with your passports, it’s a good idea to carry a hard copy of the email so you’ve got a paper record. SUE BRYANT
Where would you recommend as a base for a walking holiday in France this September?
France has so many varied landscapes, from the extinct volcanoes of the Auvergne to the gorse-scented paths of Brittany’s Emerald Coast and the cherry orchards of the Pyrenees. Thanks to its excellent train network, you can expect to race through to your destination on the high-speed TGV line before changing to the local TER networks to reach smaller places like Turckheim, in
Alsace, a pretty village of timber-framed houses just six and a half hours from London by rail and within easy reach of the Vosges mountains. Wander through vineyards, whch are a riot of colour come autumn, to 13th-century Kaysersberg Castle, from where there are incredible views towards Germany’s Black Forest.
There’s a market on Friday mornings and the cobblestone lanes of Colmar are only a 15-minute train ride away.
Being in the south west, September is a wonderful time to visit the Dordogne. The medieval town of Sarlat-laCanéda can be reached by train from London via Paris and Bordeaux, taking around eight hours depending on Paris connections. It has one of the region’s best markets, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Fill up on hearty duck dishes before following wooded hiking trails to villages such as Beynac-et-Cazenac and along the sinuous Dordogne river to La Roque-Gageac, where the houses are built into the cliffs. CAROLYN BOYD
Which country house hotels in the UK and Ireland would you suggest for a Jane Austen-style getaway? My first recommendation would be Heckfield Place, in Hampshire, a Grade II-listed manor house constructed in the 1760s and surrounded by meadows, heather and woodland. Refined interiors look out onto painstakingly restored lawns and walled gardens, while the nearby village of Chawton plays host to the Jane Austen’s House museum, set in a cottage where the author revised her manuscript for Pride and Prejudice. From £600 a night, including daily tea and cake in the drawing room, B&B. heckfieldplace.com
Further north, Grantley Hall, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, has a rich heritage stretching back to the final years of the 17th century. Enjoy a long soak in the Nordic Spa Garden — complete with outdoor ice baths — before taking a twilight stroll around the English Heritage-listed Japanese Garden and enjoying dishes made from estate-grown produce at Michelin-starred Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall. From £500 per person, B&B, including spa access. grantleyhall.co.uk
Finally, Ballyfin Demesne, in County Laios, Ireland, offers a taste of the domestic splendour once enjoyed by the Georgian aristocracy. Set beneath the Slieve Bloom Mountains, its 20 individually designed rooms come with French chandeliers, four-poster beds and gilded writing tables overlooking parkland studded with follies and grottoes. From €405 (£348), B&B. ballyfin.com For availability, email enquiries@dreamescape.co.uk LOUISE MURRAY