Plus, the beauty and challenges of the Ganges; Kosovo’s neglected caves; see a lonely Ukrainian ballet company on extended ‘tour’ abroad
|  | Friday, March 18, 2022 | | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPHS BY CIRIL JAZBEC | | By George Stone, TRAVEL executive editor
Until recently, the few summer visitors on Karpathos were the children and grandchildren of locals who had moved abroad. Unlike the hot spots of Mykonos and Santorini, the allures of this Greek island are more pastoral. Here, homegrown honey, wine, and olive oil are points of pride. But tourism is increasing, and the question is: Can the second largest island in the Dodecanese preserve its ancient traditions while welcoming outsiders?
You might think that beauty, history, and serenity would be advantage enough, but as Fahrinisa Campana reports, one quality in Karpathos rises above all others: Its late arrival to the tourism industry gives islanders the benefit of time, helping them “avoid many problems and not focus on mass tourism like it’s the only solution,” says Evangelia Agapiou of Ecotourism Karpathos.
In documenting the island’s natural and cultural heritage, Nat Geo Explorer and photographer Ciril Jazbec was captivated by a deep sense of self-sufficiency and independence among its people—the very facets that make Karpathos an off-the-beaten-path gem. The challenge will be to manage tourism while also preserving tradition. “In English, the definition of ‘eco’ is more ‘ecological,’” Agapiou says. “‘Ecos’ in the Greek language means the home, the land, the community. So, this is ecotourism—to bring people together.”
Read the full story here.
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| Pictured at top, women dress in traditional costumes for the celebration of Saint Irene in May; above, a secluded church perched on a hillside overlooking the Aegean, and a sunrise over the village of Olympos.
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| Can you canoe this? It’s one thing to dip a paddle in a wooded stream. But quite another to take the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail through upstate New York to Maine. Above, in an image posted on our Instagram page, photographer and Nat Geo Explorer Amy Toensing found these three hardy winter swimmers along the route in Vermont. The path covers 23 rivers and streams, 59 lakes and ponds, and 45 communities. Don’t think you have to paddle the whole way. Only a few “thru-paddle,” Nat Geo reports.
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| PAID CONTENT FOR TRAVEL TEXAS | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY SOFIA JARAMILLO | | | Don’t sleep on this Texas hiking adventure | | Adventure lies around every corner at Colorado Bend State Park, where 35 miles of trails reward hikers with a surprisingly different view of Texas. From visiting a 70-foot-tall living waterfall to swimming in spring-fed pools, discover why the park is one of the best places to experience pure, wild Texas. | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY ARUN ROISRI, GETTY IMAGES
| | Bangkok’s loopy wonder: Curvy and windy, the Chao Phraya (pictured above) flows past historic neighborhoods, Buddhist temples, gilded palaces, and humble teak bungalows. The shophouses along its banks have been home to generations of immigrants, many trading in gems and spices, writes Rachna Sachasinh, who describes growing up in Bangkok as the child of Sikh Indian parents and still lives in Thailand. Now artists and entrepreneurs are rediscovering and reviving these riverside districts, Sachasinh writes for Nat Geo.
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 | PHOTOGRAPH BY ARBEN LLAPASHTICA
| | | Kosovo’s neglected caves: They may be more than two million years old. One, known as the Sleeping Beauty Cave, has a room sealed off to visitors while archaeologists sift through ancient human remains. In Europe’s newest country, the little-visited caves are fascinating tourist attractions, between waterfalls and mountain hikes, Robert Draper reports. (Above, Marble Cave, in Gadime.) | | | |
| This newsletter has been curated and edited by David Beard, Monica Williams, and Jen Tse. We’d love to hear from you at david.beard@natgeo.com. | | | |
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