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Tim Pile

If you are going to drive around Corsica, you’ll need your wits about you.
Mountain roads are sometimes little more than gravel tracks littered with blind curves, precipitous drops, herds of goats and marauding wild pigs.
Most lethal of all are locals who think they’re rally drivers. They flash their headlights, blast their horns, overtake aggressively and suggest, in the strongest possible terms, that other drivers get out of the way.
The more precarious a road is, the faster Corsican motorists come hurtling around the corner.


Fortunately there are plenty of places to pull over, recompose yourself and marvel at the Mediterranean island’s rugged interior.
Villages cling to hillsides crowned with jagged granite peaks, pine forests cloak lowland slopes, and meadows of wild flowers carpet the countryside. Given the lofty terrain, the Corsicans did well to find space to build four airports.

Many tourists steer clear of roads and rental cars and head into the hills on foot. Footpaths such as the 180km (110-mile) GR20 long-distance trail test the fitness levels of hikers on what is arguably the most demanding and dangerous walking route in Europe.
A mutter of thunder coincides with my arrival in the photogenic settlement of Ota and I hurry into my guest house just as raindrops begin to plummet out of a sullen sky.
High above, at the summit of Mont Capu d’Ota, a perilously positioned boulder looks like it could tumble down and flatten the village at any minute.

According to my hosts, I needn’t worry. Legend has it the giant rock is held in place by chains constructed by monks who take it in turns to keep watch and protect the village.
I am not entirely reassured and cannot help wondering why, if the monks have got everything under control, there are so many road signs warning of falling boulders.
Eventually the clouds part a little to reveal misty vistas and sublime snatches of scenery. I decide on a short walk along the picturesque Gorges de la Spelunca.

The river valley is connected by mule trails that lead through a wooded gorge to refreshing plunge pools and arched bridges dating back to the Genoese occupation of Corsica in the Middle Ages.
Talking of medieval times, the Corsican language, which is more closely related to Italian than French, has been around in some form or other since the ninth century, and is still widely used across the island.
Place-name signs are bilingual, although the French version is often spray-painted out or riddled with bullet holes.

“Does every Corsican carry a gun?” I ask at my hotel in the charming city of Ajaccio (Aiacciu, in the local lingo).
“Only hunters and people who like shooting at French-language signs,” comes the reply. Folks in these parts are proudly Corsican first and reluctantly French second.
Staff at the tourist office don’t think independence from France is likely any time soon.
“These days it’s more of a graffiti campaign than anything serious,” a clerk says, with a shrug. I’ve seen “Corsica Libera!” (“Free Corsica!”) and “Corsica Nazione” (“Corsica Nation”) daubed on walls but I’ve also heard that hostilities are never far beneath the surface.

French-owned holiday homes have been bombed or burned down, and in 2019, explosive devices were discovered outside two tax offices in the town of Bastia, three days before a visit to the island by President Emmanuel Macron.
I am in Ajaccio to find out about another French leader with some experience of conflict.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) is the island’s biggest tourism asset. The military tactician and emperor spent the first nine years of his life in a house on Rue Saint-Charles, a property that now serves as Corsica’s national museum.

The former family home feels somewhat cramped in its current role, particularly as two cruise ships are in town.
Forty people would not overwhelm many tourist attractions but as I shuffle along with the seniors, it becomes clear that Maison Bonaparte will soon need to introduce timed entry slots and daily visitor caps.
I arrive in the 16th century hilltop town of Sartène just as the setting sun is painting the “most Corsican of Corsican towns” in honeyed hues. Shopkeepers chat with passers-by; grandmas hang laundry on lines strung high above narrow lanes; and, in the main square, children burn off energy before bedtime.


I find a busy restaurant with tables spilling onto the street and order the island’s signature dish: wild boar stewed in wine, paired with a glass of something red, robust and Corsican.
Early the following morning I drive the short distance to the town of Bonifacio (Bunifaziu).
Corsica’s southernmost town is spectacularly perched on a limestone plateau overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and dawn is a time of ethereal beauty.
While I am fiddling with my camera, the first ferry of the day carves through the glistening water as it pootles over to the Italian island of Sardinia, 17km away.
The crossing takes less than an hour, which opens up the possibility of two-centre holidays. Or just pop over for a lunchtime pizza, as I did.

Despite being adored by French tourists, Bonifacio feels more Italian – from its street names and ice-cream parlours to the Genoa dialect spoken hereabouts.
The walled citadel is still entered via an ancient drawbridge and the echoing cobblestone alleyways are at their most atmospheric while most tourists are still fast asleep.
I am tempted to linger over a lazy breakfast but the island’s beaches beckon and Corsica is home to some of Europe’s most exquisite.
Palombaggia is a creamy crescent of sand lapped by calm, clear water so swimming-pool-like, you can almost smell chlorine. Evergreen trees provide shade and unless you visit on a weekend at the height of summer, there’s enough room for everyone.
The car park gets busy, but that’s a good thing as it means fewer Corsican drivers are out harassing tourists.


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Tourism

On Corsica road trip rugged scenery, hilltop towns, traces of Napoleon, aggressive drivers

Ote village, in Corsica, France. Photo: Tim Pile

The village of Ota clings to a hillside in Corsica, one of the stops on our correspondent’s road trip around Corsica. The French island, birthplace of Napoleon, has jagged mountains and beautiful beaches; if only the locals didn’t drive so aggressively. Photo: Tim Pile

Pull over and step out of your car to admire Corsica’s spectacular mountain scenery. Photo: Tim Pile

Herds of goats are one of the hazards for drivers in Corsica to negotiate. Photo: Tim Pile

Hikers on a trail in Corsica. Many explore the island’s hills on foot. Photo: Tim Pile

Ota in Corsica sits amid sublime scenery. Photo: Tim Pile

The Gorges de la Spelunca features arched bridges dating back to the Middle Ages and Genoese occupation of the island. Photo: Tim Pile

Vandalised signs riddled with bullet holes are not an uncommon sight on Corsica, where there is an independence movement. Photo: Tim Pile

A section of coast near Ajaccio, in western Corsica. Photo: Tim Pile

Maison Bonaparte, the house Napoleon grew up in, is one of Corsica’s most popular attractions. Photo: Tim Pile

Tourists view the mountain town of Sartène. Photo: Tim Pile

Sartène dates back to the 16th century. Photo: Tim Pile

Bonifacio, Corsica’s southernmost town. Photo: Tim Pile

China’s Belt and Road Initiative a plus, the rest so-so on Hong Kong-Chiang Mai journey

A Chinese high-speed train waits at Kunming South Railway Station. Photo: Kristin Odebjer

The Laos-China Railway our correspondent was supposed to take, and the road in Laos he resorted to after missing his train. Photo: Kristin Odebjer

A road in northern Laos adjacent to the Laos-China Railway built under China’s Belt and Road Initiative that our correspondent was supposed to take until he missed his train, thus learning a salutary lesson about road transport in Southeast Asia. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

A high-speed train pulled in at Kunming Nan (Kunming South) Railway Station. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

Kunming Nan (Kunming South) Railway Station at night. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

The view out of the window of the Laos-China Railway train to Xishuanghanna in the south of Yunnan province. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

Buildings in the city of Jinghong, in Xishuangbanna, a tropical region in the south of China’s Yunnan province. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

A night market in Jinghong, Xishuangbanna. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

Cars entering China from Laos at Mohan Port. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

Illuminated buildings in Boten, in Laos’ Luang Namtha province. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

A dance performance at an outdoor market in Boten. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

The author with driver Hieng at a service station along AH3 (Asian Highway 3), in northern Laos. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

A boat on the Mekong in Chiang Khong, in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

Sunrise over the Mekong River in Chiang Khong, northern Thailand. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

Buddhist monks out to collect morning alms in Chiang Khong. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

A fisherman on the Mekong in Chiang Khong. Photo: Kristian Odebjer

Baku, oil-rich Azerbaijan’s congested capital, where Asian and European cultures collide

Old and new architecture in Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: Sundeep Kumar

Baku’s skyline. The Azerbaijani capital’s Eastern and Western influences are reflected in its buildings and culture, and as interesting as this makes this city, visiting comes with some downsides. Photo: Shutterstock


The entrance to Baku’s Palace of the Shirvanshahs. Photo: Sundeep Kumar

A mosque next to the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, with the famous Flame Towers in the background, in Baku. Photo: Getty Images

The Maiden Tower in Baku’s Old Walled City. Photo: Getty Images

In Baku, traditional buildings abut gleaming skyscrapers such as the Flame Towers, a trio of buildings that resemble giant flames leaping from the ground. Photo: Sundeep Kumar

Tea in traditional Azerbaijani armudu (pear-shaped) glasses. Photo: Shutterstock

With an increase in vehicle ownership and little investment in public transport, the traffic in Baku can be frustrating. Photo: Shutterstock

The Hilton Baku, where rooms cost US$100 to US$150 per night. Photo: Shutterstock

Old oil wells in Baku Bay. Photo: Shutterstock

Oil pollution flowing from onshore pumps in Baku. Photo: Shutterstock

Temples, forests, a Vespa tour on luxury cruise from Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The RV Toum Tiou II takes passengers from Koah Chen Port in Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Photo: Carmen Jenner

The RV Toum Tiou II takes passengers from Koah Chen Port in Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam via Phnom Penh, along the Tonle Sap, Mekong and Saigon rivers. Photo: Carmen Jenner

Ox carts in Kampong Tralach Leu. Photo: Carmen Jenner

A colourful fishing village on the Tonle Sap River. Photo: Carmen Jenner

Inside Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace. Photo: Carmen Jenner

Houses on the Mekong River. Photo: Carmen Jenner

A sampan ride along a canal on Thoi Son Island. Photo: Carmen Jenner

Cafes at The Cafe Apartments Building in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Carmen Jenner

The Opera House in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Carmen Jenner

Docked at Port Saigon. Photo: Carmen Jenner

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Travel & Leisure

A road trip is a good way to see the jagged French island, birthplace of Napoleon, but beware of locals who think they’re rally drivers


French island has a lot to offer – jagged mountains, beaches, quaint villages, the house where Napoleon grew up – and renting a car is a good way to see it if you don’t mind hairy roads and aggressive drivers.


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