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IT—Inside Traveler
By Jessie Johnston and Emily King

September 21, 2006:

Monkey Surround

IT has a thing for monkeys, so when Jessie Szalay—an English teacher in Kyoto, Japan—sent us this item about a monkey park, we were naturally curious. She writes:

"It's no secret that the rock gardens of Kyoto are incredibly beautiful. But if all those meticulously placed boulders, trees, and blades of grass leave you wondering what exactly the landscape would look like without the help of gardening monks, the Iwatayama Monkey Park offers a gorgeous answer—as well as lots and lots of monkeys.

"The park is nestled in the wooded mountains of the quaint neighborhood of Arashiyama in western Kyoto. After crossing the elegant Togetsukyo bridge over the Oi River and passing through a series of torii gates, you'll embark on a steep but satisfying hike. There, your eyes may suffer culture shock from the lack of neon and the abundance of greenery, as star-shaped maple leaves and bamboo trees sway overhead.

"Nearing the top of the mountain, the trees thin out and you're likely to spot your first monkey, one of over 170 native macaques allowed to run wild in the park. Signs advise visitors to avoid making eye contact with the animals, but that can be difficult to do as the monkeys are friendly, cute, and cleaner than those in your average American zoo.

"At the top of the mountain, you can buy a bag of bananas or apples for 100 yen (about $0.85) and enter the 'human house,' where, safely enclosed by mesh walls, you can feed the monkeys outside. Further up the hill, monkeys sunbathe, groom each other, and nurse their babies in a sunny glen. The complete lack of barriers means you're probably closer to monkeys than you've ever been before, or are likely to be again, and the entertainment value makes it a perfect activity for families. At the top of the hill, be sure to gaze east and check out the spectacular view of Kyoto City."

IT's Reader (Eater) Roundup

Last week, IT posted tips sent in from readers responding to our call for "stuff we missed" in the Insiders Montreal story in National Geographic Traveler's May/June 2006 issue. There were so many good ideas we had to split their suggestions up into two posts. Here's the second (all-food) half:

Montreal resident W.F. Howard highly recommends "Le Piment Rouge (The Red Pepper) restaurant. Their Szechuan cuisine is exquisite and the wine list is formidable (in a good way!), and neither requires a second mortgage. My favorite dish is boeuf à l'orange—offering tremendous contrast between sweet and sharp. The beef is crispy, very spicy, and never soggy. Pair this with an old vine Zinfandel or Petite Sirah. While I was dining there once with a colleague, four large men entered and sat at a nearby table. I chanced to look over, and was startled to see Mark McGwire and three of his Cardinals teammates in town to play the Expos."

Heidi Gray's restaurant of choice is Santropol. "It has a great garden/patio setting in the back, and a homey bohemian decor inside. It is a café with a backbone—associated with a meals-on-wheels program, it also serves some of the best fair-trade, locally roasted coffee in town. Santropol is well-known for its sandwiches, but if you love soup, try one of the choices of the day—always funky and filling."

Rose Barth is a French teacher in Oyster Bay, New York, but she visits Montreal frequently with her husband: "We never miss a dinner at Bonaparte in Vieux-Montréal. We always make reservations before our trip to make sure we have a spot—it's such a charming restaurant with a fantastic menu. My husband looks forward to the vanilla-flavored lobster stew. I like the snails and mushrooms in phyllo dough for an appetizer."

Tracy Turnbull from Ottawa really likes "Le Reservoir (9 Ave. Duluth E.; + 1 514 849 7779), a quirky brew pub with awesome pints and an everchanging menu of interesting snacks like chickpea bruschetta and scallop ceviche. It spans two floors with a great balcony on top where you can watch people stroll by on the cobblestones below. Another great bar is Bily Kun on Mont-Royal, with soaring ceilings and walls decorated with ostrich heads. Lots of Montreal beer on tap at great happy-hour prices between 3 and 8 p.m.—try the Ephemère, Coup de Grisou, or McAuslan Apricot Wheat Ale."

We conclude with a tip from Christine Bowers, who just returned from a trip to Montreal: "A friend and I had lunch at a great place in Montreal's Chinatown, My Canh (1086 Boul. St-Laurent; +1 514 398 9407). The place is unassuming—bare tables and paper napkins with loads of people taking advantage of the excellent Vietnamese food at very low prices. For about $10, I had a complete meal of Tonkinese soup (amazingly good), and deliciously cooked beef and noodles topped with imperial rolls—a cross between a spring roll and an egg roll, but better than either!"

From September 19, 2006:

Internet Itinerary

Whenever IT's in the mood for a really great website, we turn to senior researcher Marilyn Terrell for guidance. This week she directs us to Slow Travel, a site that (shall we say it?) actually makes us excited for retirement. She writes:

"I love the website Slow Travel, a community of travelers who like to spend at least a week in one place to get to know it in depth, rather than trying to see a dozen places superficially. Their members have reviewed hundreds of vacation rental villas, apartments, farms, and cottages that make this kind of travel possible. You can read their trip reports (mainly Europe, with particular emphasis on Italy), explore their interactive Google maps, meet other slow travelers, and share their favorite webcams (including the infectious dancing of video blog Where the Hell is Matt?). On the website, co-founder Pauline Kenny decribes slow travelers as people who 'buy supplies and groceries in the local stores, get to know (and become known at) the local coffee bars and restaurants, and generally get a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the area where [they] are based.' The site is extensive, a fun read, and a convincing argument for going slow."

Nantucket Nugget

The sad truth about magazine publishing is that sometimes—because of cost, space, timing, etc.—well-written and informative articles are never published. The happy antidote to that truth is the emergence of blogs, specifically National Geographic Traveler's IT, where such material may be repurposed. Like this week, where we present to you associate editor Susan O'Keefe's Nantucket itinerary (written originally for TRIPS!) in its heretofore unpublished glory:

Some 30 miles off Cape Cod, the island of Nantucket shows its mellow side in autumn. With the post-summer hush comes the harvest of bay scallops and cranberries, the scent of wood-burning fireplaces, empty beaches for endless walking, boutique sales, and reduced hotel rates. The action takes place in Nantucket town and beyond.

8 a.m. Wake up with a view of Nantucket Harbor at your private Boat Basin cottage on Swain's Wharf, a short walk from Main Street. Each cottage features nautical interiors, full kitchen, slate-floor bathroom, and patio or deck.

9 a.m. Make your way to the art-filled Even Keel Cafe in the heart of town. Submit to the lobster Benedict or get some coffee and berry muffins at the cheery grab-and-go counter for an alfresco breakfast on the waterfront.

10 a.m. Pick up an all-terrain or tandem bike at Young's Bicycle Shop and head out on a seven-mile trip to Siasconset, a former fishing hamlet turned actors' colony. Park your bike and mosey along Sconset Bluff Walk, a best-kept secret that allows for views of gardens, choice homes, and the ocean. Another option: rent a Jeep (at Young's or the airport) and visit the Milestone Bog near Gibbs Pond for a look at the cranberries, a crop here since 1857. The island's Cranberry Festival is October 14.

12 p.m. Relax on the harborside terrace at Brant Point Grill at the posh White Elephant hotel. The boating scene complements the comfort-food menu that includes lobster-crab cakes, lobster mac and cheese, and cod sandwiches on brioche with cranberries, pea shoots, and orange slices.

1 p.m. Let the whales lead the way. From the early 1700s to the 1840s, Nantucket was the whaling capital of the world, something that becomes abundantly clear when you spend an hour at the newly renovated Nantucket Whaling Museum. The lore of the island's past is captured in letters, scrimshaw, old photographs, a 46-foot-long sperm whale skeleton, and more.

2 p.m. Some of the shops and galleries close for the winter in late October (exact dates depend on the weather). Take advantage of end-of-the-season sales at the shops along Centre, Federal, and Main Streets. For designer women's labels and shoes, check out Zero Main (0 Main St.; +1 508 228 4401). Don't leave the island without a pair of Nantucket Reds, the faded, pinkish khaki pants from Murray's Toggery Shop. At Nantucket Looms, local artists weave heirloom-quality blankets. Kitchen gear, beach plum jam, and rose hip jelly lure visitors to Nantucket Gourmet.

4 p.m. Stop in at the Brotherhood of Thieves for a pint of Whale's Tale Pale Ale—made on the island at Cisco Brewers. Locals gather at the bar here to watch sports and talk about the weather. Snack on the Brotherhood's cheese plate, famous shoestring curly fries, or creamy New England clam chowder. If it's Chowder Contest time (October 14), you can try a slew of chowder samples and cast your vote for the best at the bottom of Main Street.

7 p.m. The cozy, candlelit Company of the Cauldron is open for dinner only, with a set prix fixe menu that changes week to week and is posted outside. Dishes range from lobster risotto with wild mushrooms and black truffle oil to pan-seared halibut with Tuckernuck clams over fresh pasta. Live harp music seasons the surroundings.

9 p.m. Have a nightcap at a friendly neighborhood bar. The Club Car piano bar is an old railroad club car left over from when the island had its own railroad, while the intimate bar at 21 Federal is the place for good wine by the glass."

E-mail your feedback and tips to InsideTraveler@ngs.org.

Bookmark IT! www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/extras/blog/blog.html

Emily King, Traveler's assistant to the editor, likes her chocolate dark, melted, and mixed with uncooked oatmeal. Researcher Jessie Johnston prefers 400-gram (massive!) Cadbury bars purchased in Heathrow airport.

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