There’s something quite magical about first stepping foot on Fraser Island . Stretching over 120km, this raw, rugged sand island – the world’s largest – off Queensland’s southeast coast feels utterly otherworldly.

With its wild untamed beaches, towering old-growth forests, crystal-clear freshwater lakes, and bountiful wildlife including Fraser’s most famous resident, the dingo, this Unesco-listed island offers one of Australia’s best wilderness adventures. It's currently open to visitors (as of August 2020) but there may be some restrictions on interstate travel. Please check local restrictions before booking a trip and always follow government advice.

Half the fun of visiting Fraser Island, which lacks sealed roads, is the challenge of driving in the national park. It’s for this reason that many visitors opt for an organised tour from the mainland. Travelling here independently, however, gives you the flexibility to explore the breathtaking island at your own pace, and cranks up the adventure factor big time.

The track to Lake Wabby is typical of hiking trails on Fraser Island © Sarah Reid / Lonely Planet" data-embed-button="images" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"","image_link":""}" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="a890fc71-3330-4719-a3c4-ccddfe7ba9e3" title="Hiking trail Fraser Island">

There are two ways to access Fraser, located about 300km north of Brisbane. Most visitors take the Manta Ray barge that runs continuously between Inskip Point (which has a picturesque beachfront campground) and Fraser’s southern tip from 6am to 5.15pm daily. The 10-minute journey costs AU$130 return (per car) as of August 2020. Booking ahead is recommended.

The other option - aside from landing on the beach in a tiny Air Fraser Island plane - is Fraser Island Barges which runs less frequent daily services from River Heads (20 minutes south of Hervey Bay) to Wanggoolba Creek and Kingfisher Bay Resort on the west side of the island (both services from $180 return per car; about 50 minutes journey time).

What you need for driving on Fraser Island

Driving anything other than a 4WD with low-range capacity and high clearance onto Fraser is strongly discouraged. This isn’t to say you can’t take your SUV, but the likelihood of damaging the underside of your vehicle on the island’s bumpy roads or getting bogged in sand is much greater, especially if you don’t have much experience driving on sand. If your insurer doesn’t cover off-road driving, you’ll face a hefty bill to have your car towed off the island.

If you don't have your own wheels, there are also several companies in Hervey Bay that specialise in renting 4WD vehicles for touring Fraser. Rental companies can often organise necessary vehicle permits through the Queensland National Parks office for you, and help with ferry and campsite bookings.

What to pack for Fraser Island

For you:

There are several supply shops on Fraser’s east coast – at the main settlement of Eurong (which also has a bakery and a pub), Happy Valley, Cathedrals and Orchid Beach, all of which sell fuel, ice and basic supplies – but it’s advised to bring everything you’ll need for the duration of your visit, including water (for drinking and washing), medical supplies (there’s no doctor on the island), AU$2 coins for coin-operated showers available at some campgrounds, and extra fuel.

Distances between attractions might not look far on the map, but it is a slow, fuel-guzzling process navigating Fraser’s roads.

Campfires are only permitted in a select few campsites (outside of 'total fire ban' periods of course), so you’ll need to bring a suitable stove for cooking. Some campsites have refuse bins, but as the island lacks a recycling system, so plan to take your rubbish out with you. Personal portable toilets are a requirement at Coolooloi Creek and Cornwells group camping area, and are recommended for other camping areas without facilities. If you get caught out, bury your business in a deep hole.

Driving on Fraser Island is no easy feat © Sarah Reid / Lonely Planet" data-embed-button="images" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"","image_link":""}" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="deef3a09-e797-4db2-b218-9b83578ba027">

For your car:

An air pressure gauge is essential to deflate your tyres for sand driving (check the requirements for your car in advance). No matter what kind of vehicle you’re driving, it’s worth investing in or renting recovery gear including recovery tracks, a shovel, and a snatch strap. Get your hands on a good map and ideally a GPS, as mobile phone reception is non-existent in some areas.

Before you set off, be sure to check the car’s oil and water levels. Also consider bringing a ‘mechanical first aid kit’ including radiator coolant, a spanner set, gaffer tape, a can of WD40, jumper leads, zip ties and a spare fan belt.

Where to camp on Fraser Island

The island has a handful of hotels and guesthouses (centred in Eurong and Happy Valley, and there’s also Kingfisher Bay Resort on the west coast), but many would argue camping is an essential part of the Fraser experience. There are 45 camping areas across the island with varying facilities. For those with small children (under 12) opt for one of the five campgrounds with dingo deterrent fences. Arguably the most picturesque is Central Station. As the name implies, the leafy camp is roughly in the centre of the island, and makes a good base for exploring inland lakes, as well as the Valley of the Giants.

Fraser Island's Lake McKenzie is just as idyllic as it looks © Sarah Reid / Lonely Planet" data-embed-button="images" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="{"image_style":"","image_link":""}" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="26f96d94-adde-45fe-b5dc-042f02b4a0dc">

As it’s not possible to drive on the island’s boggy west coast, most seaside campsites are located along the east coast. In the island’s northeast, Waddy Point is a crowd favourite. Sheltered from south-easterly winds, it’s one of the few campsites where fires are permitted.

You’ll need to book camping permits in advance (AU$6.75 per person per night); in peak periods, it’s also worth pre-booking spots at preferred campgrounds.

Dingo safety

Spotting Fraser’s iconic wild canines is a memorable experience, but dingo safety is paramount. While the sandy-coloured canines generally steer clear of humans, there have been attacks on Fraser, some of them fatal. Follow these tips to stay safe, while helping to keep Fraser’s dingoes wild.

- Ensure food is never left unsecured (lock it in your vehicle) and never feed dingoes. Fines apply for both offences.
- Don’t leave anything lying around an unfenced campsite that dingoes can chew though or tear at – even toiletries left in a tent can attract.
- Clean up straight after cooking and eating, and pour washing up water into a deep hole away from your camp if washing facilities aren’t available.
- Always keep small children, which can excite dingo attention, at arms reach. Running can have the same effect, so be sure to walk everywhere.
- If you’re threatened by a dingo, stand still and fold your arms across your chest. Face the dingo, then calmly back away (if you are with another person, stand back-to-back). Call for help, but wait until the dingo is gone before you continue on your way. Never run or wave your arms. In an emergency, call 000 or 112.

What to see and do on Fraser Island

Most visitors spend their days exploring the island by 4WD, either returning to the same campsite each night, or moving around every couple of nights. Unmissable activities include taking a dip in the vivid blue Lake McKenzie, and floating down turquoise Eli Creek. Just north of the creek lies popular photo stops including the wreck of the SS Maheno, and the coloured sand cliffs known as the Pinnacles.

If time allows, schedule a hike to Lake Wabby (a 4.8km round-trip from the east coast), and enjoy the pretty inland drive to peaceful Lake Birrabeen. Near Waddy Point, the rockpools known as the Champagne Pools are a safe spot for a saltwater dip. Ocean swimming is generally not recommended on Fraser due to treacherous sea conditions and shark activity – from Indian Head, a bluff just south of the pools, you can often spot sharks patrolling below. If you make it as far as Fraser’s northeastern tip, don’t miss the heritage Sandy Cape Lighthouse.

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This article was first published June 2017, last updated August 2020.

A first-timer’s guide to visiting Australia’s Fraser Island

As COVID-19 continues to create uncertainty around the US, many Americans are trying to salvage a summer vacation. Since the spring, air travel has seen a steep decline – as much as a 95% drop in air passengers from the same time last year, according to data collected by the TSA – leaving those in search of sun, sand, or just a sliver of normalcy to hit the highway instead. Rather than going with the flow, though, flocking to the same familiar destinations, take the road a little less traveled. Below, find 8 less expected, more remote, but just as exciting road trips to take this summer.

From Philadelphia to Bucks County, Pennsylvania

About 45 miles north of Center City, the Greater- Philadelphia county steeped in Revolutionary-era history offers plenty of socially-distant (but still fun) adventures. Take a self-guided driving tour of the region’s 12 historic covered bridges. Pick your own peaches, then grab picnic provisions from the market on site at Solebury Orchards or Shady Brook Farm. From there, claim a spot on the lush grounds of Fonthill Castle, or at one of the area’s many sprawling parks and nature preserves, such as Washington Crossing Historic Park – the 500-acre state park where the George Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River 1776.

BYO bike (or rent one) and pedal down the tranquil Delaware Canal Towpath. For a one-of-a-kind hiking experience, hit Ringing Rocks park, and bring a hammer – the rocks ring like bells when struck. The Bucks County Ale Trail includes several spots with outdoor seating, including the riverfront Great Barn Brewery taproom in New Hope. Right across the Delaware in Lambertville, pick up a perfectly-charred Neapolitan pizza at Liberty Hall and eat alfresco in the adjacent side street restaurant, opening in mid-August, or take it to go, along with fresh salad and cannoli, to the Raritan Canal Path just steps away. Finish the day with a sundae atop a crispy, sugar-coated Liege waffle at Nina’s Waffles, and turn in at one of the many small B&Bs in the area, like the 4-room Galvanized America Inn & Art Gallery, a 1750s farmhouse on 6-acres with a firepit and pool.

From Washington, DC, to Irvington, Virginia

The capital city isn’t far from the Chesapeake Bay coast – minus the city’s notorious traffic, driving due east gets you there in less than an hour, where you’ll find… everyone else from DC.

Instead, go a little farther south to Irvington in Lancaster County, on Virginia ’s Northern Neck peninsula. The region is bound by the Bay, plus the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers, and is known for, among other coastal delights, the Virginia Oyster Trail. Make The Tides Inn your base – the charming property overlooking Carter’s Creek dates back to 1947, and today offers a mix of nostalgic and contemporary activities, including electric boats for cruising the water, complimentary bikes, fishing and crabbing, lawn games, and roasting s’mores over a fire pit. Don’t miss the baked oysters at the Chesapeake, the resort’s onsite restaurant (where you can dine on the open-air terrace), and to check out the source, visit Merroir – the Rappahannock Oyster Company’s tasting room, overlooking the river where the oysters are grown and harvested.

From Atlanta to Greensboro, Georgia

A little over an hour from Atlanta, Greensboro, Georgia, is home to 19,000-acre freshwater Lake Oconee and a slightly more easygoing pace of life. Also find several world-class golf courses, Oconee Brewing Company, with brewed-on-site beer and lawn games, and lakefront campgrounds like Old Salem or Parks Ferry. Alternatively, for a more indulgent getaway, check into a cottage or lake house at the Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee. The placid property now offers enhanced social distancing concierge amenities like private chefs and grocery shopping services. Take advantage of myriad lake activities like kayaking and water-skiing during the day, and in the evening, roast s’mores or dine by a personal chiminea bonfire.

From Boston to White Mountains, New Hampshire

While most Boston -based road trippers are heading toward the coast, turn inland instead, to the rugged (and remote) White Mountains. Less than a three hour drive from Boston, the northern part of the Appalachian Mountains has trails ranging in length and difficulty for all levels of hikers. Cool off with a swim in nearby Squam Lake, and save time to sample the local beverages.

In the nearby town of Tamworth, Tamworth Distilling just launched socially distant cocktail classes. The private, hour-long classes take place in the distillery’s riverfront backyard, and include how-tos using the distillery’s small-bath-made spirits and cordials. A five minute drive from Tamworth find the Farmstand, a quaint, four-room inn serving locally sourced breakfast with farm fresh eggs, freshly baked scones and housemade sausage. A few more minutes down the road, French glamping company Huttopia ’s got cabins and plush tents right on a lake, with activities like canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding, badminton, and tennis.

From Las Vegas to Grand Canyon, Arizona

If the Grand Canyon has always been on your bucket list, now feels like the right time to visit. About four hours from Las Vegas and six hours from Albuquerque, the epic natural wonder has trails for novice and expert hikers alike, all with unparalleled views. There are plenty of campgrounds in the area, but for something a little more special, book a safari-inspired tent with Under Canvas. Located about 25 minutes south of the South Rim in Valle, Arizona, the campground sits on 160 acres of piñon and juniper forest. Each stylishly designed tent is outfitted with a king-sized mattress, a wood burning stove, and, blissfully after a long day of traversing the canyon, a private bathroom with running water.

From San Francisco to Lake Tahoe and Hope Valley, California

Visit the quieter north shore of Lake Tahoe, about 200 miles from San Francisco, to explore the beaches, hiking and mountain biking trails, but make your base in Hope Valley, located in Alpine County – the least populated county in California. Book a room (or cabin, campsite, or restored Vintage Spartan 1951 trailer) at the newly-opened Wylder Hope Valley. About 20 miles south of the lake, the 165-acre resort has plenty of social-distance-friendly activities like fly fishing, kayaking, or peaceful wildflower walks. Or take relaxation to the next level with a dip in the natural hot springs, lounge in a hammock, or book the private, wood-fired sauna.

From Los Angeles to St George, Southern Utah

While most visitors make for its national parks – including Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Arches – Utah’s State Parks are an incredible draw in their own right. About 385 miles from Los Angeles, or a scenic two-hour drive from Las Vegas, St George is an easy jumping off point to explore the 20,000-acre Sand Hollow State Park, with a warm-water reservoir for swimming, and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, with the roughly 10,000-year-old dunes perfect for exploring via ATV or a hike, and, as with most locales in the Utah, the stargazing is unparalleled. The state is home to more than 300 public campgrounds, or for a more unique lodging, book a yurt, teepee, airstream, or Conestoga wagon.

From New York City to Rhode Island

Forgo the Hamptons and head for the low-key Rhode Island seaside. In Narragansett, find miles of sandy state and public beaches, plus scenic hiking at the Black Point Trailhead, which winds along the rocky coastline. Visit Narragansett Surf & Skate to buy a new board or arrange a private surf lesson, and refuel with a lobster roll at Monahan’s Clam Shack, steamed lobster clam bake at Champlin’s Seafood, or Italian grinder and frozen lemonade at the 133-year-old St Clair Annex. Inns, hotels, and cottage rentals for every budget abound along the coast. Classic favorites include the retro boutique Break Hotel, about a mile from the Judith Point Lighthouse in Narragansett, and the Weekapaug Inn, a charmingly cedar-shingled hotel overlooking Quonochontaug Pond with private beach access and complimentary use of sailboats, kayaks, and peddle boats.

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Top road trips from US cities for the ultimate remote vacation

In her 2009 TED talk " The Danger of a Single Story," Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie recalls the moment "when I discovered African books." Stumbling into writers "like Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye" forever changed her understanding of literature, and the kind of stories she herself began to write – stories filled not with Americans and Europeans like those she grew up reading, but those populated with the kinds of people and places she knew intimately from her own life.

Despite being home to 54 countries, over 2,000 languages, and a billion people, Adichie notes that Africa is often reduced to a single idea about a single place through repeated tales that have become, in the larger cultural consciousness, a "single story of catastrophe." Thankfully, however, more and more readers are, like Adichie, discovering African books and the wondrous variety within vibrant literary communities from Lagos to Cape Town, from Cairo to Harare.

More and more writers, too, are finding opportunities to tell the stories of their own countries from their own perspectives, challenging that single story and offering up dozens of richer alternatives. As a result, readers around the world are eagerly traveling to countries from Burkina Faso to Libya to Zanzibar one page at a time, getting an intimate locals perspective not only on back streets and inside quotidian households, but also on grand historic events, subtleties of language and translation, and the varying shades of humor and wit that vary from culture to culture.

If you’re ready to travel to Africa not as a frequent flyer but a page turner, check out these must-read African books from Algeria to Zambia.

Our editorial team provides independent recommendations to help you make the most of your travel experiences. When you make a purchase through the included links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Algeria

Tomboy by Nina Bouraoui"I hear the sea advancing, the sound of freighters leaving Africa. I belong to the sand, the sea, and the wind. I am in Algeria. France is far away, behind the huge and dangerous waves. It is invisible and imagined." So begins Tomboy, a semi-autobiographical tale of 1970s Algeria written a fragmented modernist style that reflects the rhythm of the surf against the Algiers coast, the country's fractured political landscape at the time, and the protagonist's own uncertainties about language, nationality, and identity.

Angola

Transparent City by Ondjaki
Considered one of the best books in translation of 2019, Ondjaki's Transparent City is set in the Angolan city of Luanda, where a man named Odonato searches for his missing son. Following Odonato through the city, the reader encounters a magical realist urban landscape where buildings breathe, muxima music fills the hallways, and the past is just out of reach.

Cameroon

When the Plums Are Ripe by Patrice Nganang
In When the Plums Are Ripe, Nganang blends the grand scale of the historical novel with lyrical African oral tradition, asserting the Cameroonian perspective on how France dragged its colony into World War II, with consequences not just in the capital of Yaounde, the village of Édéa, or at the battle sites of Kufra and Murzur, but throughout North Africa.

Limbe to Lagos: Nonfiction From Cameroon to Nigeria by Emmanuel Iduma, Dami Ajayi and Dzekashu MacViban
If the heart of African literature is making space for Africans to tell their own stories, then Iduma, Ajayi, and MacViban's anthology of creative nonfiction by a variety of writers is right at the center of the canon. The collected works form a delightful conversation between two countries that have been tangled up in one another for decades, and break through "artificial constructs like borders on the African continent."

Republic of Congo

The Lights of Pointe-Noire by Alain Mabancko
A finalist for the Man Booker International Prize, Mabancko's memoir of returning to the contemporary Republic of Congo after twenty years in Paris is an exploration of how places (as well as people) can change, the power of memory, and what it means to be from somewhere, all rooted in the cinemas, churches, and winding streets of Pointe-Noire.

You may also like: A tale of two cities: Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire

Egypt

Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz
Travel can be a form of time travel, and so can literature – a curious truth embodied by Midaq Alley, a vivid foray into the back streets of 1940s Cairo written a generation later by Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz in 1966.

As Trevor Le Gassick – who translated the novel out of Arabic – notes in the introduction, Midaq Alley"provides glimpses of unusual intimacy into Egypt in a period of fast transition" though he warns that "both the locale and the events of this novel should certainly not be viewed within the narrow framework of time."

Ethiopia

The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
There are many stories overlooked in the history books, including that of Ethiopia's women soldiers who fought on behalf of the exiled Emperor Haile Selassie against Mussolini's troops in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.

Mengiste brings that conflict, and the bravery of arbegnoch resistance fighters, to life through her protagonist Hirut, a maid who is swept up in this 1935 prelude to World War II. It's a stunning novel that made the long list for the 2020 Man Booker Prize – the first time a writer from Ethiopia has been nominated.

Unbury Our Dead With Song by Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ
Though wa Ngũgĩ's novel about four musicians who play tizita (Ethiopian blues music) won't be out until May of 2021, it promises to be well worth pre-ordering. Unbury Our Dead With Song moves between an underground venue in Nairobi, Kenya and the musicians homes back in Ethiopia, and digs deep into this distinctly African musical genre.

Equatorial Guinea

La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibea Obono
One of the reasons African literature is only just now reaching a wider audience is the challenge of translation – whether out of endemic languages like Swahili or colonial tongues like Portuguese and German. Thankfully more and more literature is being thoughtfully brought into translation, like Trifonia Melibea Obono's La Bastarda, which has the distinction of being the first work by an Equatorial Guinean woman to make the leap to English.

La Bastarda is also distinguished by thoughtful attention to the tensions that can exist between traditional cultures like that of Equatorial Guinea 's Fang people and the contemporary queer community as heroine Okomo is drawn into a underground scene of sexual revolution in this compelling bildungsroman.

Ghana

The Hundred Wells of Salaga by Ayesha Harruna Attah
This is the tale of two women in pre-colonial Salaga, Ghana, where the slave trade is alive and well – unfortunately for Aminah, who soon finds herself in bondage, while her counterpart Wurche finds herself navigating the patriarchal web of 19th century politics. Attah's novel rejects widely-accepted oversimplifications of African history and cultural hegemony, giving complexities of faith, language, and power their due.

You may also like: How to live like a Local in Accra, Ghana

Guinea Bissau

The Ultimate Tragedy by Abdulai Silá
Ostensibly the story of a teenager named Ndani as she navigates life under colonial rule in Guinea Bissau, there's more to The Ultimate Tragedy than meets the eye. The first Guinea Bissauan novel to be translated into English doesn't lose the intricacies of language crucial to the original Portuguese. Instead, it maintains the tension of Silá's prose, which is punctuated with the local creole and a storytelling style that stems from long-standing oral tradition.

Kenya

One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina
Hailed by Publishers Weekly as "A Kenyan Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man," Wainaina's One Day I Will Write About This Place is a rich stream of consciousness made more absorbing by the author's attention to the way we think across language, slipping between English, Kiswahili, and others.

The Dragonfly Sea by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
Owuor pulls at the threads tying contemporary Kenya to foreign interests from China to Turkey in this bildungsroman about Ayaana, a young girl on Pat é Island in the Indian Ocean – "the Lamu Archipelago’s largest and sullenest island." When a man from Nanjing arrives, a chain of events is set in motion that sends Ayaana far from home, into bewildering adventures.

Lesotho

Chaka by Thomas Mofolo
The lesser-known kingdom of Lesotho, surrounded by South Africa, is best known for its stunning national park, waterfalls, and alpine adventures, and as home to the the Basotho people. Mofolo's classic of historical fiction brings the Zulu king Chaka's legacy to life. First written in 1910 in the Sesotho language, it's since been translated by Daniel P. Kunene, and offers an action-packed, if fictionalized, account of Chaka's rule from 1816 to 1828.

Liberia

She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore
Moore gives the magical realism treatment to Liberia 's founding in a novel that weaves the stories of a young  West African woman in exile named Gbessa, a former slave escaped from America named June Dey, and Norman Aragon, who's lineage is the story of colonialism itself. The three are drawn out of the diaspora into the center of a nascent nation, convening in what will one day be the capital of Monrovia.

You may also like: A guide to Liberia – West Africa's least explored state

Morocco

Whitefly by Abdelilah Hamdouchi
Fans of the detective genre will immediately be pulled into Hamdouchi's Whitefly, as a murder mystery unfolds in Tangier as Detective Laafrit (meaning crafty) works to solve a case involving several bodies washing up from the Malabata shore. The novel is hailed as one of the first Arabic noir novels, and its twists and turns immerse the reader in hard-boiled Morocco.

Mozambique

A River Called Time by Mia Couto
Another work by a Man Booker prize nominee, Couto's family saga takes place against the backdrop of the civil war that overtook Mozambique from 1977-1992, as a young man named Mariano attempts to unite his family as they convene for his grandfather's funeral. The family debates how to step into the future, even as they are haunted by their own insistent ancestors, in a compelling dive into Mozambican identity and outlook.

Namibia

Writing Namibian: Literature in Translation edited by Sarala Krishnamurthy & Helen Vale
It's always a challenge to pick one text alone as representative of a whole country's literature – unless, of course, that volume is Krishnamurthy and Vale's well-curated, broad overview of writers from Namibia. The pieces included in this anthology range from Oshiwambo orature, narratives in German, Ju'hoansi and Otjiherero and Afrikaans, writing by female Namibian authors, plays, poetry, sociology, academic criticism, and more.

You may also like: Dune boarding, climbing, surfing and more: finding adventure in Namibia

Nigeria

The African Trilogy by Chinua Achebe
No list of African literature would be complete without Chinua Achebe, one of the best known writers from the continent long before the current blossoming of the Nigerian literary community. This trilogy is some of his best work, each of the three novels a meditation on power – or what Adichie describes in her TED talk as nkali, an Igbo "noun that loosely translates to 'to be greater than another.'"

Looking for Transwonderland by Noo Saro-Wiwa
Saro-Wiwa captures the bewildering experience of being between countries and cultures in Looking for Transwonderland, a memoir that brings the reader along from "the exuberant chaos of Lagos" to the "calm beauty of the eastern mountains," from the networks of Nigerian public transportation to far off the beaten path. The author makes for a humorous, witty tour guide and puts the reader in the passenger seat next to her, seeing parts of the country not every visitors has the opportunity to experience.

And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile
The inciting event of the novel is the disappearance of seventeen-year-old Paul Utu, but its clear the characters are searching for more than a young man. A mystery rooted in myth, a personal story that doesn't shy away from the political, and the story of a community in transition, Jowhor Ile's And After Many Days captures the town of Port Harcourt, Nigeria in 1995 and far further back in time.

Sierra Leone

The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
An assortment of characters who span generations and very different backgrounds collide in the buzzy capital of Freetown, each with secrets to keep and haunted by the long, painful civil war that lasted from 1991–2002. An intimate, humanizing look at the manners and identities of Sierra Leoneans, the novel muses about what holds us together even while grappling with the forces, and choices, that can rend at a community or country.

South Africa

An Imperfect Blessing by Nadia Davids
A Muslim family of color living in the Cape Town suburbs navigates the tremendous changes their country is experiencing – in particular, the family's young daughter Alia, who is going through major transformations of her own. Moving from Walmer Estate deeper into the capital, from mosques to dive bars, home to history-making moments, Davids' novel grounds the expansive qualities of the national and adolescent in the specificity of geography.

Double Negative by Ivan Vladislavic
What better way to get an close-focus tour of 1980s and '90s Johannesburg than following protagonist Neville Lister as he embarks on an art project that involves photographing and interviewing the residents of three randomly-selected houses? Though Lister's work doesn't go according to plan and he travels from South Africa to London and back over the course of a decade – and the end of apartheid – Vladislavic maps not only places, but his characters' public and private selves.

Sudan

Thirteen Months of Sunrise by Rania Mamoun
This series of short stories, translated from Mamoun's original Arabic by Elisabeth Jaquette, captures a kaleidoscope of the Sudanese experience, from the quotidian routines of ordinary citizens to heroic rescues to a writer-cum-flaneur pacing the back streets of Khartoum in hopes of stumbling across a story.

Tanzania

Gravel Heart by Abdulrazak Gurnah
As tourists drift into 1970s Zanzibar, a dreamy young author named Salim struggles with his place in both his family and the larger world. Gravel Heart follows Salim as he moves from his home country to London in an attempt to grapple with a flawed relationship with his own father, and his country's own confusion after the end of British colonization.

Uganda

Kintu by Jennifer Makumbi
A multi-generational epic that reaches far back into Ugandan history to the 18th century Buganda Kingdom and boomerangs back to present-day Kampala, Kintu was an instant hit in both Uganda and Kenya. It continues to rack up accolades like the Windham-Campbell Prize and was named one of Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2017.

As Aaron Bady notes in his introduction, "Makumbi [did] for Ugandans something like what China Achebe novels did for Nigerians in the 1960s." She creates a world "saturated with Ugandan words and places and names" and treats Ugandan's pre-colonial history as worthy of celebration and literary attention, exploring the country in was thrilling to locals and those outside Africa alike.

Zambia

The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
Serpell's novel starts close to the place most associated with Zambia – the banks of the Zambezi River on its way to spill over Victoria Falls. There, at an Edwardian colonial settlement, a fateful decision sets in motion a century of conflict between three Zambian families from all walks of life. Far from the typical multi-generational epic in the British tradition, however, Serpell's novel is a genre-bending spectacular that defies expectations.

You may also like: Zambezi come Zambezi go: a journey along southern Africa's mythical river

Zimbabwe

This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembg
Long-listed for the 2020 Man Booker Prize, Tsitsi Dangarembg demonstrates why she is one of Zimbabwe 's most beloved and visible authors in This Mournable Body. The protagonist is one fans will recognize from one of Dangarembg's previous novels – a young woman named Tambudzai, who is living in a Harare youth hostel that's seen better days before accepting a job in her hometown in the country's burgeoning ecotourism industry. Grappling with the obstacles faced by young people, and women in particular, Tambudzai's homecoming is far from seamless, but rife with potent observations on human nature and, of course, Zimbabwe itself.

Out of Darkness, Shining Light by Petina Gappah
If Dangarembg tackles Zimbabwe's present, Gappah turns to the country's past in an inversion of colonial Heart of Darkness narratives. Out of Darkness imagines the stories of the Africans who ensured Dr. Livingstone's body would return to England after he died of malaria in what is now Chipundu, Zambia.

Illuminated by empathy and resiliency, Gappah charts his characters course across "more than one thousand and five hundred miles, from the interior to the western coast, from Chitambo to Muanamuzungu, from Chisalamala to Kumbakumba, from Lambalamfipa to Tabora, until...we reached Bagamoyo, that place of sorrow."

Africa

A Stranger’s Pose by Emmanuel Iduma and Abraham Oghobase
Far from treating Africa as a homogenous "other," Iduma and Oghobase's collection of prose and photographs spans over a dozen cities s across the continent, forming a unique travelogue of markets, highways, and towns. As Teju Cole notes in the foreword, A Stranger's Pose is "the atlas of a borderless world..." and the "quintessence of many journeys" in which "immense distance is folded, like a rope, into patience sentences and images [that] glow with the radioactivity of communal memory."

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These books by African authors will transport you from Algeria to Zimbabwe

Claire Marshall, 36, is having “major visa problems, as usual.” Having been in 70 countries over the past seven years while working remotely (currently as the COO of a marketing consultancy), trying to get visa extensions has become a familiar ordeal. But as an American in France with a visitor’s visa that’s about to expire, she’s particularly trapped.

To renew her visa, Marshall would have to fly to the US, but doing so would prevent her from returning to France, where borders are closed to US passport-holders because of the country’s surge in coronavirus cases. This would mean leaving behind her partner, a French native, for the foreseeable future, “which is not an option,” she says.

Traveling the world as a digital nomad has undoubtedly grown more complicated during the pandemic. Those with US passports can’t cross most European borders, regardless of whether they’ve recently set foot in the US, and global travel restrictions seem to change every week.

Considering the digital nomad lifestyle? Buy Lonely Planet's Digital Nomad Handbook.

At the same time, popular tourism destinations are hurting – the lack of visitors drying up many locals’ income – as the number of remote workers worldwide has soared thanks to various stay-at-home orders. Meanwhile, unrelated to the virus, popular nomad hubs like Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Bali, Indonesia, have been increasingly overrun with foreigners who “ game the system ” by working remotely on tourist visas and not paying local taxes.

Together, these factors create the perfect storm for a new type of visa. Countries hoping to attract more foreign dollars, from Estonia to Barbados, have either announced or begun opening applications for remote work visas that last up to a year. They’re available not only to freelancers and the self-employed, but also those employed remotely by a single company.

Here’s a breakdown of the new visas and how digital nomads feel about taking advantage of them during what’s come to be known as these “uncertain times.”

Estonia

Estonia, population 1.3 million, is particularly bullish on accommodating remote workers. With the country’s birth rate close to zero, growing the population could help give Estonia a stronger global voice, suggests Managing Director of Estonian e-Residency, Ott Vatter.

Vatter believes the pandemic will accelerate the adoption of Estonia’s new visa, which will let remote workers who can prove at least €3504 ($4131 USD) monthly income live for a year in Estonia, where city-center apartments cost about $700 USD per month. Online applications open on August 1.

“We’ve seen significant interest,” says Vatter, mainly from remote workers based in the US, Canada, Russia and Japan. While Vatter emphasizes a keenness to attract journalists, academics, and other “highly qualified specialists,” the country’s welcoming all kinds of freelancers – one current e-resident is an international Batman, performing at children’s birthday parties.

“I’ve heard good things about Estonia,” says Marshall. “The thought of more digital nomads [going there] makes it more attractive to me, because [it] means there’s easier access to meet friends and probably more co-working spaces.”

Georgia

There are drawbacks to becoming a digital nomad hub, however. Travel blogger and online course director Richelle Gamlam, 29, acknowledges that it could become a problem for her temporary home of Tbilisi, Georgia.

“If the country were to become very saturated with digital nomads, we might drive up property prices,” she says. “Some locals might start to resent that.”

For now, digital nomads in Georgia rave about the low cost of living, minimal taxes, and culture (it’s known as the “ birthplace of wine ”). Georgia also locked down early on in the pandemic. “The general consensus here is people will use [this visa] to…come to Georgia as a coronavirus safe haven,” says Gamlam.

The government has yet to provide many details about the visa, but those who apply will need to prove their monthly income. Tom Williams, founder of ExpatHub Georgia, estimates that could be around $1500 to $2000 USD (local wage, he adds, is closer to $400 USD). Visa applicants will also have to pay for a two-week quarantine upon arrival and six months’ of travel insurance.

Many Georgia residents rely on summer tourism for their income. Normally full Airbnbs are now empty, so hosts are “putting their properties up for long-term rental,” says Williams, with prices dropping by as much as 50 percent.

The upcoming visa option further appeals to those whose passports make international travel difficult.

“I’m a Philippines passport holder,” says travel blogger Trisha Velarmino, 32. “I need a visa to every single country in the world…so to know that I’m accepted as a Filipino citizen and digital nomad in Georgia is a relief.”

Barbados and Bermuda

In Southeast Asia ’s popular warm-weather nomad destinations, maintaining legal visa status is a chore. “Some people were having to fly every month to another country to renew,” says Williams.

For nomads tired of keeping up with visa renewals who don’t want to migrate to cooler climates, two beachside locales whose economies have been hit hard by the lack of recent tourism are welcoming remote workers. Barbados has opened visa applications for workers and students getting income/schooling from outside the island country. The visa will cost $2000, but for just $263, Bermuda is offering a yearlong residency.

There is a small downside to the easy renewal and balmy climate, though. Digital nomad Janet Newenham lived in Bali for the past three years but recently returned to her home country, Ireland, because of the pandemic. She wouldn’t take advantage of the Barbados or Bermuda visas because “the cost of living there is so high,” she says. “Nothing is really comparable to Bali.”

Changing the nomadic landscape?

This spate of new, nomad-friendly visas may change the digital nomad landscape permanently. While many nomads country hop every few months due to visa restrictions and wanderlust, the availability of longer-term options could maintain their appeal beyond the pandemic.

“Most nomads at some point want to settle down a bit more,” says Julien, 29, a nomad from Montreal who’s currently living in Milan. The lack of long-term remote worker visas has long made constant moving the easier option, but Julien thinks these visas could help nomads fulfill what many seek – the ability to live “local lives” rather than “tourist lives.”

Other nomads, like Claire Marshall, aren’t ready to give up moving. “I’m at a stage in my digital nomading and life where settling down makes sense, but psychologically, the thought that I can’t leave is very heavy,” she says. “It’s something I’m not used to.”

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The pandemic may have put a stop to offline dating, but it hasn’t got in the way of a rumored romance between Normal People star Paul Mescal and singer Phoebe Bridgers. The pair were reportedly spotted together on a breakfast date last week in the picturesque town of Kinsale in Mescal’s native Ireland.

The actor, who just received an Emmy nomination for his role in the hit drama adaptation of Sally Rooney’s bestselling novel, traveled from his home in London to County Cork, where he posed for a photo with the manager of Actons Hotel.

“We in Actons Hotel treat all of our guests as #normalpeople,” the hotel said in a Facebook post. “It was an absolute pleasure to have you Paul. Enjoy the rest of your time in Kinsale.”

The following day, the Lemon Leaf Cafe revealed on Twitter that Mescal and Bridgers had stopped by for breakfast, calling them “such amazing talented young people”.

Fan- Tas- Tic day thanks to @mescal_paul and @phoebe_bridgers for calling to our café this morning for breakfast. Such amazing talented young people #Celebrities #musicaltalent #Staycation2020 #breakfast #voiceofageneration pic.twitter.com/h5wgclzs5y
— Lemon Leaf Cafe (@lemonleafcafe) July 23, 2020

In an interview with NME, Bridgers described how they had followed each other on Instagram after she watched Normal People, and in May, the pair took part in a live-streamed interview for Wonderland magazine. Bridgers, 25, is based in Los Angeles, while Mescal, 24, is originally from Maynooth, County Kildare, although he moved to east London shortly before the lockdown.

Ireland's most romantic getaways

Mescal and Bridgers haven’t confirmed their relationship, and though there are no photos from their joint visit, Lemon Leaf Cafe owner Tracey Keoghan told news site CorkBeo that the pair were “absolutely delightful”.

The daytime spot is a favorite with tourists and locals alike, serving breakfast, brunch and lunch in the heart of the town. Over the decades, Kinsale has transformed itself from a sleepy fishing village to a foodie destination, packed with gourmet bistros, cool cafes and high-end restaurants including the Michelin-starred Bastion. Seafood is, naturally, a specialty in the area.

The West Cork town is also known for its pretty scenery and narrow, winding streets, loaded with personality and charm. In 1601, it was the site of the Battle of Kinsale, and served as a garrison town and port of consequence for more than 300 years. Its Georgian and Victorian architecture has been lovingly maintained, and visitors can spend hours exploring the town and admiring the slate-clad buildings on the waterfront.

There are a number of sandy beaches with romantic hidden coves to roam, or lovebirds may enjoy a scenic stroll along the coast on the Scilly Walk, overlooking the harbour and the town, with plenty of stops on the way for a cosy pint or a tasty meal.

The hike leads to the Charles Fort, a star-shaped fort built in the 1670s to guard the harbor. It is still one of the largest military installations in the country, and the well-preserved ruins are worth a wander. Elsewhere, history buffs can follow a heritage trail or take a guided tour to learn more about Kinsale’s past, including the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915.

During the warmer months, Kinsale becomes a popular festival hub, starting with the Point to Point racing festival over the June bank holiday and stretching through Kinsale Arts Weekend and the Regatta in high summer, before the three-day Gourmet Festival in early October.

The nearest airport to Kinsale is in Cork. There are connecting flights from Dublin Airport, or visitors can travel from the capital by bus, train or car.

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The pretty village where Paul Mescal and Phoebe Bridgers are rumored to be romancing

Now that the concept of work from home has been added to our list of the new normal, the best way to break your travel fast is with workstations, a combination of constructive work balanced with a bit of vacation.

They are the ideal way to turn around your cancelled summer plans for the year, allowing you to combine both business and leisure. Since the quality of creative output is directly linked to the environment one is in, here’s a list of handpicked stays at easily drivable locations from metros, where you can maximise the benefits of flexible working options while on a long holiday.

The Mango Tree Courtyard, Dehradun

In the middle of Doon city, a valley in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, owners and friends Ruchi and Kaylen have created an unlikely oasis in an otherwise busy, business centre. Ruchi Sharan,  an erstwhile designer, and Kaylen Whitmore, an American and Indophile, turned their friendship into partnership with this haven. Their cross-cultural influences are reflected well in the finer details of the place, from nuanced designs of the various spaces to the variety of guests at the dinner table. True to its name, a striking mango tree stands in the middle of the courtyard. The bright blue of the doors and windows pops out of the neatly whitewashed walls to recreate a Mediterranean feel, and MTC, it’s easy to believe you’re marooned on a plush island.

Chapslee, Shimla

An old, colonial bungalow, Chapslee is the residence of Rani Pronoti Devi and her late husband’s family that has its roots in the legendary royal family of Kapurthala. Staying here is the equivalent of being in a museum, where the stories of British Simla still linger in every artefact and anecdote. Built-in 1830 as Secretary Lodge of the East India Company and renamed Chapslee in 1848, this historic house has been witness to the signing of the Simla Manifesto and has long held the status of one of Shimla’s finest residences. Kanwarani Pronoti Devi and her husband Kanwar Ratanjit Singh opened their exclusive home as a heritage hotel in 1976. Ever since Chapslee has been known as a window to the past, and staying here transports you to a bygone era.

A Dog's Story, Jaipur

Other than us humans, our lovely pets also deserve a much-needed break in these wearisome times. One of India's first accommodations founded exclusively for pet travel, this boutique stay was created by owner Himmat Anand who struggled with finding pet-friendly places while travelling with his pet labrador. A travel industry veteran, he recognised the need for places that were not only suitable for such travels and also decently priced, but also beyond just the label of ‘pet friendly’. The quest ultimately led him to launch A Dog’s Story in Jaipur. Ideal for a weekend getaway from Delhi with your pets, this stay welcomes its four-legged family with garlands, a plunge pool for them to splash around in, and a ‘wags’ menu curated especially for the pet. The popularity of ADS Jaipur has now led to the upcoming launch of two more in Corbett country and Mussorie foothills respectively.

Shillong B&B, Meghalaya

An old Shillong house converted into a traditional yet chic guesthouse, this bed and breakfast is run by William Diengdoh. Owned by his wife’s family, Will as he is popularly known, restored this structure to its original beauty. Will also runs the Shillong Café with the B&B; a die-hard music lover, he brings together musicians young and old, rising Shillong artists, and music aficionados together through his café that is frequented by none other than the legendary Lou Majaw. This joint brimming with music also serves great northeast fusion food, overseen by Will who is an authority on Khasi culture. From Meghalaya’s matriarchal structure to its traditional foods, its homegrown bands, and the live music scene, he is an affable host who is a treasure house of local knowledge.

Tiger Trails, Tadoba Tiger Reserve

The conservationist father-son duo, Amrut and Aditya Dhanwate, that runs this lodge can be credited with unofficially putting the Tadoba tiger reserve on the tourist map. Of the 30 acres they purchased decades ago, they used only two to build on and converted the rest of the wasteland into a buffer forest for the park. The property consists of independent cottages and swish tents ensconced by the surrounding forest, home to sambar deer, nilgai, wild boar, and even tigers and wild dogs, as seen on the camera trap footage monitored actively by in-house naturalists. After a day of uninterrupted working, unwind in the evenings under the stars with fresh, wholesome meals as you listen to the hosts and their success story called Tadoba.

Naveen’s Glen, Uttarakhand

A cosy bed and breakfast in the hills of Kumaon in Uttarakhand, this charming place is run by Nitya Budhraja who relocated to the hills from New Delhi and made Sattal her home, taking forward the project her late father had started. A birder’s paradise, the cottages, and rooms are also named after the avifauna here, and overlook the Saattal valley. Nitya personally oversees the comfort of her guests and the cooking at Babs Cafe in the Woods, the in-house eatery, along with taking care of the entourage of resident dogs forever trooping behind her. An amateur photographer with a love for nature, she captures the daily essence of her life and shares it wonderfully both through her images and her enthusiasm with her guests.

Vanghat, Corbett, Uttarakhand

Sitting on the banks of the Ramganga River in the Corbett Tiger Reserve, Vanghat is the brainchild of conservationist Sumantha Ghosh. Vanghat was born out of his desire to regenerate the waters and land of this beautiful but exploited valley. His efforts to resuscitate the region revived the famous golden mahseer population that had been nearly wiped out due to overfishing with explosives and chemicals. Starting a unique scheme of shared revenue for game fishing, he empowered the local communities alongside reviving the land. Slowly, Ghosh added mud and thatched bungalows to his stone cottage to invite fellow nature lovers. As a top naturalist, his birding walks and interactive journeys that take the focus away from tiger-centric tourism remain the top experiences of this place.

Meena Bagh, Ratnari, Himachal Pradesh

At Meena Bagh, get ready to roll up your sleeves, and get dirty. This beautiful orchard stay is not just for luxury but also to learn a lesson in farming. Eco-entrepreneur Sanjay Austa runs this delightful place amid farmland, where he practices permaculture and encourages his guests to do the same. Pick from a variety of trees to be planted, and learn about the diversity of this ecosystem. In your wanderings across the farm, you will encounter sheep, dogs, kittens, and roosters, among other inhabitants. Learn about rainwater harvesting, watch documentaries on conservation, and end the day in the comforts of the accommodation conversing over wholesome meals with this passionate journalist-turned-farmer who also invites volunteers on plantation drives and other activities, just as he has done for locals during the lockdown.

Editor's note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government advice.

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The lead pair of Bandish Bandits, the new musical series by Amazon Prime Video set in Rajasthan, lists the cultural highlights of the state.

Rajasthan, the north-western state of India is a colourful ride on the sands of time. Here is India’s quintessential land of maharajas and medieval forts, palaces and tigers, and kaleidoscopic festivals. Rajasthan is the jewel in India’s crown.

Rajasthan has musical traditions encompassing different genres of music. These include raga-based Hindustani classical music, mystical Sufi songs, vibrant folk music, and ballads. The famous gharanas or schools of Hindustani or north Indian classical music are associated with cities like Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Udaipur. The 19th-century Jaipuri-Atrauli gharana or musical fraternity is very famous.

Rajasthani music employs a wide variety of percussion and stringed musical instruments. Bowed and stringed instruments like the sarangi, Ravanhatha, kamaycha, winged instruments like the pungi and percussions like dhol and damru are all popular among street musicians and folk singers of Rajasthan.

Dress codes are associated with some of the styles of music played in Rajasthan. The Manganiyars and Langas are folk musicians distinguished by their gaily coloured oversized turbans and white dhotis. Banjaras, tamasha, nautanki, and rasleela are themes of street musical performances combining theatre, puppetry, and dervish like whirls to the company of music.

In recent times Rajasthan has showcased vibrant international musical festivals held in the surrounds of the grand fort of Mehrangarh in Jodhpur. Rajasthan’s traditional music lends itself seamlessly to modern fusion music with vibrant jam sessions.

Bandish Bandits is the first Indian series on the OTT platform that takes audiences through a musical trail across Rajasthan. Bandish is a lyrical and melodic composition in Hindustani music that is soulful to listen to.

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Rajasthani musical trail with Bandish Bandits

There is a lot of food involved during Bakrid, the feast of sacrifice says the theatre and film actor Zoya Hussain who lists her personal food map for this Eid-al-Adha.

My earliest memories of the festival are of food. This included Iftari specialities for dinner, which was the most important meal. The platters of kejur and fruits, creamy channe ki dal, biryani, palak ke pakode would be laid out in an elaborate manner highlighting the feast for our hungry eyes.

Uttar Pradesh treats

My father hails from Lucknow and the home recipes were the most authentic meals my sister and I relished. The flavourful biryani was set off by the unique Muzaffar meethi seviyan. This dessert was dark brown-roasted vermicelli served in a sea of cream and fruits. Chawal doodh or gulethi was a delicate and simple dessert my father could never do without as comfort food. Uttar Pradesh’s famed kebabs found their way into our festival menu and a buffet of kebabs would be laid out for the Bakrid. The tables would groan with kakori kebabs, boti kebab, buna ghost kebab, and nihari or slow-cooked mutton stews and khagina anda burji or spiced and curried eggs.

Hyderabadi haute cuisine

At my mother’s home in Hyderabad, the Qubooli chane ki dal ki biryani had a flavour hard to match elsewhere. The dahi and imli ki chutney were paired with a variety of kebabs. Specialities included the Hyderabadi haleem, a wholesome stew of grains and mutton, which is a personal favourite and the smoky and creamy dum ka keema which is a Hyderabadi signature mince dish. Often on Bakrid, the adults would round their meal off with a meetha paan, a fragrant mouth freshener.

Do not miss a visit to the Old City to try the street food like niharis and lukhmi, a puff pastry or pocket square filled with mince and. Do drop into Paradise Restaurant for its famed biryanis.

Flavours of Mumbai

Sneak into the lanes of Mohammad Ali Road in the cosmopolitan city and you will be rewarded with great festive treats. Craving for phirni? You’re in the right spot to get your sugar highs and fill yourself with sheer kormas, chicken pasanda, and seekh kebabs.

Comfort food from Kashmir

Bakrid offers a varied tasting menu in Kashmir where I once landed for work. The Kashmiri harissa is a meaty winter warmer, often cooked overnight and teamed with girda, their traditional fermented bread.

Dubai delights

I found out that festival times are glitzy in this city on a recent visit. The malls are open until sunrise during the festival with glittering shop fronts and lights. Beyond the shopping the food is free and you can eat until you explode during the festival.

Author Zoya Hussain attributes her food tastes to the twin influences of her Lucknowi father and her Hyderabadi mother. Growing up in Delhi and working as a model and actor in Mumbai added variety to her food appreciation. Find her on Instagram.

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Festive treats for Bakrid with Zoya Hussain

July 31 marks Harry Potter's birthday, making it the perfect time to test your knowledge on magical destinations.

While Harry spends a lot of time traveling between London and Hogwarts, there are so many other places in the Potterverse he learns about as he explores the wizard world. From Godric's Hollow to Egypt, wizards travel the world maybe even more than muggles. Would you be able to navigate Harry's world like a wizard or are you a straight up muggle? Take the quiz to find out.

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