National Geographic Traveller UK – September 2026

Summary

Issue 145 of National Geographic Traveller UK (September 2026, £6.25) sends readers to Italy's islands with a 24-page cover story profiling cheese farmers on Capraia, a diving instructor in the Tremiti archipelago and artists in Sicily's first Capital of Contemporary Art. Seven features span Uzbekistan's Silk Road, the Azores' self-reliant food culture, Rwanda's overlooked capital Kigali, a Lake Titicaca homestay, eight music-trip itineraries and an Indigenous-led Uluru hike.

The Italy cover story (p.48), written by Farida Zeynalova and Elena Luraghi, opens on the Tremiti Islands — a five-strong marine reserve barely a square mile in total, protected for almost 40 years. A separate Uzbekistan feature (p.72) follows merchants, pilgrims and nomads along the Silk Road. The Azores (p.84) reveals how Atlantic isolation forged a distinct food culture; Kigali (p.96) shows thriving art and fashion scenes. The Guide section adds a long weekend in Tetouan, Somerset cider trails, Manchester hotels and a Boston Take Two. Terry Crews closes the issue with My Travels (p.178).

The Edit opens with Do It Now — saddle into a US dude ranch — then runs through Belgium brewing heritage in Flanders, Lyon table talk, a Lyme Regis fossil-and-brewery UK Break, Budapest's local scene, China's 24-hour spa renaissance and Hamburg's Miniatur Wunderland. Expert Traveller tackles fear of flying, birding kit, Chinese mooncakes and phone photography mastery. Reader awards let votes win prizes (p.174).

—————

Content Guide

▸ Cover Story / Features

p.48 · Italy
Capraia's 150 permanent residents include beekeeper Roberta Bonomo and goat-cheese makers; the Tremiti Islands' diving instructor Adelmo Sorci guides snorkellers through black-coral beds 50 metres down; Sicily's first Capital of Contemporary Art turns small-town venues into exhibition spaces. Take the afternoon ferry from Termoli to San Domino — it runs until late September and drops you into the quietest corner of the Adriatic.

p.72 · Uzbekistan
Silk Road cities Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva are linked by a new high-speed railway that cuts travel time between them to under three hours. The Registan at sunset draws fewer crowds in September than in peak summer. Hire a local guide in Bukhara's old Jewish quarter — families there have lived alongside Uzbek neighbours for centuries.

p.84 · Azores
Self-reliance on these remote Atlantic islands has produced a distinct food culture: pineapple grown in volcanic greenhouses, cheese aged in basalt caves, cozido stew cooked by geothermal steam. The Furnas village restaurants serve the stew buried for six hours in earth ovens. Arrive before 11 a.m. to watch them dig it up.

p.96 · Kigali
Rwanda's capital earns its spotless reputation with a thriving art-and-fashion scene. The Inema Arts Centre and the new Museum of Contemporary Art anchor a gallery walk that can be done in a morning. Dress modestly for the Genocide Memorial — shoulders and knees covered are mandatory.

p.106 · Lake Titicaca
A homestay with the weaving communities on the Peruvian side of the lake includes demonstrations of natural-dye techniques using cochineal insects and local plants. Families expect guests to join the daily chores — feeding llamas at dawn is the best way to earn their trust.

p.114 · Music Trips
Eight itineraries for crate-diggers, opera fans and fiddle enthusiasts: vinyl hunting in Tokyo's Koenji district, opera at Verona's Arena, bluegrass in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains, fado in Lisbon's Alfama. Each entry lists the best record shop, venue or festival with a direct booking link.

▸ The Guide

p.126 · Long Weekend: Tetouan & Tamuda Bay
Jagged Rif Mountains meet Mediterranean waters in northern Morocco. The medina of Tetouan, a UNESCO site, is less crowded than Fez or Marrakech. Stay in Tamuda Bay and take the 20-minute grand taxi into the old city — negotiate the fare before you get in.

p.130 · On the Menu: Somerset Cider
Farmers and brewers championing Somerset's best-loved tipple are mapped across the county. The oldest orchard, which has been pressing apples since 1820, opens for tastings by appointment only. Call three days ahead — they stop answering the phone during harvest week.

p.134 · Where to Stay: Manchester
The northern powerhouse's industrial heritage lives on in its hotel boom — converted warehouses, cotton-mill hotels and a railway-arch aparthotel lead the market. Book the 1860s cotton-mill conversion in the Ancoats district for direct access to the city's best independent restaurants.

▸ Expert Traveller

p.145 · One to Watch: Spiritual Adventures
Wellness travel is pivoting from spa treatments to organised spiritual journeys — silent meditation retreats in the Alps, shamanic ceremonies in Peru, forest-bathing programmes in Japan. The article lists five operators vetted for ethical practices.

p.153 · How To: Master Phone Photography
Composition rules, editing apps and accessory recommendations for getting magazine-grade travel shots with a smartphone. The single most useful tip: use the grid overlay — rule-of-thirds alignment doubles the keeper rate.

—————

Editor's Take

The Italy island-hopping cover story is National Geographic Traveller at its best — reporters embedded with locals, not just passing through. Capraia's 150-resident profile and Tremiti's black-coral seabed give the feature a specificity that most Italian island coverage misses. The Azores food story is a sleeper hit; the geothermal stew detail alone justifies the page count. The Uzbekistan Silk Road feature delivers the practical high-speed-rail hook that budget-conscious readers need. But the Music Trips round-up (p.114) reads as filler — eight thin entries that could have been three strong ones with real booking data. The fear-of-flying piece in Expert Traveller is a missed opportunity: it raises the anxiety but offers no step-by-step protocol from an aviation psychologist. The paid-content yacht charter spread (p.168) interrupts the editorial flow.

Strengths
• Italy islands cover story embeds with 150-resident Capraia and Tremiti divers
• Azores food culture piece reveals geothermal cooking methods and basalt-cave ageing
• Uzbekistan high-speed rail connection makes Silk Road cities accessible in under three hours

Weaknesses
• Music Trips round-up stretches eight thin entries instead of three well-reported ones
• Paid-content yacht spread breaks the back-of-book editorial rhythm

Verdict: Recommended — Strong Italy cover and Azores food feature, but the Music Trips section sags. (16 words)