WAYFARER
New Zealand's Great Walks, and how to book one
- Meghalaya: bridges grown from living roots
- Kanha after the monsoon, with the women who run the Mukki zone
- Nepal: an autumn trek to Poon Hill
- Torres del Paine and Madeira's water-channel paths
The Great Outdoors
A good walk is a plain pleasure. You put one foot in front of the other and the day does the rest. What this issue tries to add is a second question: who made the path, and who looks after it?
In Meghalaya, people grow bridges out of tree roots and then spend years repairing them. In Kanha, women from the villages around the forest have become guides, drivers and guards. In Nepal, a young guide had to get past the doubts of her own relatives before she led her first group. Their stories come from published reporting, which we name on each page, and we have not interviewed them ourselves.
We have also been careful with the practical details. Hut prices, permit fees and visa rules change, and some of them were described differently by different sources, so we point you to the official page rather than tell you what to pay. Where a date is not yet confirmed, it says so.
Go gently. Carry out what you carry in, and leave the path in better shape than you found it.
— Gitanjali Gautam, Editor-in-Chief
This month's theme. November is when a lot of the world's best walking seasons open. The monsoon has cleared from the Himalaya, New Zealand's huts take their first bookings of summer, and Patagonia's spring begins. This issue is about walking and watching: trails built by people over centuries, forests kept by communities, and the guides and rangers who make a good day outdoors possible.
Contents
Cover storyThe Great Escape
Northeast India · MeghalayaNortheast India: Beyond the Familiar
IndiaIndia: Beyond the Usual
Asia · NepalAsia: A Continent of Experiences
Around the WorldAround the World
- Torres del Paine: walking Patagonia in springA Chilean national park whose W and O treks are among the best known in South America, and what the booking rules and fire history mean for visitors.RESEARCHED
- Madeira's levadas: walking the water channelsMore than 2,000 km of irrigation channels, many with a path beside them, on a Portuguese island in the Atlantic.RESEARCHED
Real stories from the roadPeople & Places
- Keeping the bridges alive: Morningstar Khongthaw and the root-bridge buildersIn the Khasi Hills, a village committee is mapping, adopting and repairing living bridges, and asking for them to be protected on its own terms.PROFILE · FROM PUBLISHED REPORTING · NOT INTERVIEWED BY WAYFARER
- From porter to leader: Sumitra AcharyaA Nepali trekking guide who started as a porter at 27 is leading trips to Everest Base Camp and Annapurna.PROFILE · FROM PUBLISHED REPORTING · NOT INTERVIEWED BY WAYFARER
- The women of Mukki: guides, drivers and guards in KanhaIn one zone of Kanha Tiger Reserve, women from the surrounding villages hold jobs that were once mostly done by men.PROFILE · FROM PUBLISHED REPORTING · NOT INTERVIEWED BY WAYFARER
- A river with a legal voice: the WhanganuiIn 2017, New Zealand's Parliament recognised a river as a legal entity, ending a claim that had started with local iwi in the 1870s.PLACE PROFILE · FROM OFFICIAL AND REFERENCE SOURCES · NOT VISITED BY WAYFARER
Reader and contributor briefsBe part of Wayfarer
Food, heritage and natureTaste, Heritage & Nature
- The Taste of Travel: the Khasi kitchenMild, fermented and smoky: what to eat after a long walk in Meghalaya.RESEARCHED
- Heritage Without Borders: the sacred forest at MawphlangA grove protected for centuries by Khasi communities, and what its rules ask of visitors.RESEARCHED
- The Natural Calendar: NovemberWhat to look for, where, and how sure we are.RESEARCHED
- Responsible travel: seven habits for the trailSmall things that keep a path usable for the next walker.RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
Practical toolkitTravel Smart
CommunityReaders' Pages
- The Traveller's Lexicon: kaitiakitangaA Māori word for guardianship of the natural world.LEXICON
- Travel Quiz — NovemberFive questions. Answers appear in next month's issue.QUIZ
- Your turn: the trail that taught you somethingReader engagement idea for the next issue.READER INVITATION
- The Traveller's BookshelfThree books we would pack for a long walk.RECOMMENDED READING
Festivals & events radar
Dates below come from our festival guide and are approximate. Always confirm with the official organiser before you book; lunar-calendar and annually announced events are provisional until confirmed.
Northeast India & India
| Event | Where | When (approx.) | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diwali | India | 8 November 2026 (Lakshmi Puja) verify | The festival of lights, with lamps, sweets and fireworks; check local rules on fireworks.. |
| Rann Utsav | Dhordo, Kutch, Gujarat | 1 November 2026 to 7 March 2027 per the organisers' release; other sources give different end dates verify | A seasonal tent city beside the white salt desert, with craft and cultural programmes.. |
| Pushkar Camel Fair | Pushkar, Rajasthan | Listed as 17–24 November 2026; climax at Kartik Purnima on 24 November verify | A livestock fair and pilgrimage beside a sacred lake.. |
| Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival | New Shillong Highland Grounds, Meghalaya | 20–21 November 2026 official | Two days of music and culture timed to the Himalayan cherry blossom.. |
| Sangai Festival | Imphal, Manipur | Traditionally 21–30 November; 2026 dates to be confirmed by Manipur Tourism verify | A state festival named for the Sangai deer, with crafts, dance and sport.. |
| Hornbill Festival | Kisama Heritage Village, near Kohima, Nagaland | 1–10 December 2026 official | Nagaland's tribes gather to perform songs, dances and games.. |
| Konark Festival | Konark, Odisha | 1–5 December 2026 official | Classical dance at the open-air auditorium near the Sun Temple.. |
| Jaipur Literature Festival | Jaipur, Rajasthan | 14–18 January 2027 (20th edition) official | A large literature festival with authors, panels and readings.. |
Asia
| Event | Where | When (approx.) | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black-necked Crane Festival | Gangtey Monastery, Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan | 11 November 2026 official | A local festival celebrating the cranes that winter in the valley.. |
| Loy Krathong | Thailand (Bangkok, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai) | Full moon, most sources say 24 November 2026; local events run several days verify | Floating baskets and lanterns on rivers and lakes.. |
Europe
| Event | Where | When (approx.) | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strasbourg Christmas Market | Strasbourg, France | Opening expected around 27 November 2026; the city had not published final dates when we checked verify | One of Europe's oldest Christmas markets, spread across the city.. |
| Edinburgh's Hogmanay | Edinburgh, Scotland | 29 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 verify | A multi-day New Year festival with a torchlight procession and street party.. |
Africa & the Americas
| Event | Where | When (approx.) | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marrakech International Film Festival | Marrakech, Morocco | 20–28 November 2026 (23rd edition) official | A nine-day film festival with screenings and industry workshops.. |
Oceania & international
| Event | Where | When (approx.) | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Cup | Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia | 3 November 2026 (carnival 31 October to 7 November) official | Australia's best-known horse race, a public holiday in Victoria.. |
| Great Walks season opens | New Zealand | 1 November 2026 (Milford Track season runs to 30 April 2027) official | The Department of Conservation's managed season begins, and huts require advance booking.. |
Format example
Dated developments from the last weeks, each with its source. Rules and dates must be re-confirmed before you travel.
- Gujarat: the 2026–27 Rann Utsav season at Dhordo was announced to begin on 1 November, with organisers giving 7 March 2027 as the end date; other sources give different closing dates. Source: Republic World, 3 November 2026. https://www.republicworld.com/travel/rann-utsav-202627-to-begin-november-1-evoke-experiences-announces-upgraded-stays-and-new-visitor-experiences-2026-11-03-140302
- Rajasthan: the Jaipur Literature Festival announced its 20th edition for 14 to 18 January 2027. Source: Outlook India. https://www.outlookindia.com/books/jaipur-literature-festival-turns-twenty-in-january-2027
- Morocco: the Marrakech International Film Festival, 20 to 28 November 2026, announced its competition lineup. Source: TelQuel, 2 November 2026. https://telquel.ma/instant-t/2026/11/02/marrakech-2026-le-fifm-devoile-les-films-de-la-competition-officielle-et-le-reste-de-la-programmation_2016142/
- New Zealand: reports in September 2026 said visitor-visa applications would move to an upgraded online system, with sources giving 24 September or 1 October as the start. Source: NRI Information. https://nriinformation.com/immigration/new-zealand-visitor-visa-from-india
- Mizoram: the Bairabi–Sairang railway line completed one year of operation in September 2026. Source: Akashvani News, 13 September 2026. https://newsonair.gov.in/bairabi-sairang-railway-line-in-mizoram-completes-one-year/
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