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From Acadia to Zion: the best hike in all 63 US national parks
From the rocky headlands of Acadia to the sandstone cliffs of Zion, we share the best hike in every US national park America’s 63 national parks offer an encyclopaedic array of natural sights – from trees that existed at the time of dinosaurs to fiercely active volcanos. That’s before we even get into the hundreds of other units such as national monuments, historic sites, preserves, reserves, rivers, parkways and recreation areas. At last count, America’s public lands received nearly 300 million recreational visits a year and for good reason. The country’s national park system is a model that has been replicated the world over. With so much variety within the millions of acres of outdoor space, it’s difficult to know where to start. To point the way, we’ve put together a list of the best h...
20 interesting facts about Paraguay
The most interesting facts about Paraguay, from a double-sided national flag to the ‘Heart of South America’ American essayist P.J. O’Rourke once quipped that Paraguay was “nowhere and famous for nothing.” He then took a business trip there, fell in love with the country and promptly moved there. While we can’t say we felt the same striking attraction, we certainly appreciated Paraguay’s history and authenticity. The small and struggling country is a steamy subtropical land of remarkable contrasts with a tragic and torrid history filled with violence and loss. Despite our relatively short stay, we came across a wide range of interesting facts about Paraguay, the best of which we share below. Interesting facts about Paraguay 1. More than 80% of Paraguayans are ...
Under the midnight sun: a surreal trip to Svalbard
In the land of the midnight sun, Kia finds a place of raw nature, rare wildlife and one of her most memorable moments of travel It is said that you can’t die in Svalbard, the remote archipelago that lies midway between Norway and the North Pole. The permafrost here not only preserves corpses, it sometimes pushes them to the surface. The truth is that authorities would prefer you didn’t die on Svalbard. Coffin burials are not allowed due to the permafrost, so critically-ill patients are usually flown to mainland Norway. And just as there are rules in death, there are also rules in life. Heavily pregnant women are flown to the mainland as giving birth in Svalbard is also off limits. In many ways, this is a place occupied by life and death. The capital, Longyearbyen, is home to th...
The countries that won’t let you in without travel insurance
As entry rules continue to evolve at pace, we take a look at the countries that require travel insurance as standard Travel has had a turbulent few years to say the least. Following the stasis of the pandemic, this summer has seen a sharp rise in passenger numbers thanks to easing restrictions and increased traveller confidence. The surge caught the industry by surprise. Transport hubs around the world have struggled under the pressure with long airport queues, lengthy delays, staff strikes, lost luggage and cancelled flights. Britain’s busiest airport even asked airlines to stop selling summer flights to cap passenger numbers. While nearly all countries have relaxed entry restrictions put in place during the pandemic, some have retained certain criteria. One such condition is the requirem...
Useful travel gadgets: what we’re using in 2022
From practical solutions for everyday problems to highbrow electronics for luxury on the road, here are our favoured useful travel gadgets of 2022 The modern traveller rarely leaves home without a range of gadgets and accessories. Despite years of travel and streamlining my gear, I still pack a healthy number of gadgets. Unless I’m going completely off-grid, there are certain (usually electronic) luxuries I don’t want to be without. I want to take thousands of photographs, listen to music, watch a movie, stay in touch with my family and most importantly of all, keep track of England’s latest batting collapse (a form of self-harm I’m sure). Therefore, the following useful travel gadgets are a mix of what I won’t travel without and what’s on my wish list for 2020. 1. World travel adapter kit...
8 essentials for safe travel
From avoiding stomach bugs to securing valuables, these essentials for safe travel will stop long trips playing havoc with your health Having five sisters as I do is wonderful. On your travels, you get lots of messages checking on your whereabouts and well-being. And then you get some more messages. And then you get some more. Soon, this turns into real-time updates of potential hazards in a 6,000-mile radius. “You’re camping on a beach in Fiji? Did you hear about the couple who got hurt on a beach in Thailand?” “Didn’t you just leave Vanuatu? There’s an earthquake there now.” “You’re in Chile? What about that huge volcano?” Of course, it’s natural to worry about loved ones when they’re away. Occasionally, that worry is warranted. To help set minds at ea...
How to claim compensation for flight delays
Recent travel chaos has left many out of pocket, but you might be entitled to compensation for flight delays It was 8pm Jordanian time in October 2013 when we were told that our flight was being delayed by another two and a half hours. The tiny dinner box with a dry cheese sandwich and limp croissant was little compensation for the fact that we were going to miss the last train out of London Heathrow, meaning we’d have to spend £50 on a cab. Just great. We grumbled and we groaned and resigned ourselves to the extra expense. It was only a few months later when talking to a friend that we discovered we were entitled to compensation – a whole £420 between us. Kollawat Somsri/Shutterstock Recent travel chaos has left many passengers out of pocket Fast-forward nearly 10 years and we’re en ...
10 tips for buying annual travel insurance
A comprehensive guide to buying annual travel insurance including what to look out for, the pitfalls to avoid and the questions to ask Back in 2014, British adrenaline junkie Ben Cornick jumped out of a plane in Fiji at 12,000 feet. There was no way to know at the moment he leapt out of the aircraft that his parachute wouldn’t work properly and that he would plummet to Earth, breaking his leg in three places and shattering his elbow. It gets worse: Ben hadn’t bought travel insurance and had to pay £20,000 upfront for treatment to save his leg. His parents pulled together their life savings and readied to sell their house. ViktorKozlov/Shutterstock Skydiving is risky But then there was an unlikely twist: following media coverage of Ben’s predicament, complete strangers donated money to pay ...
Ranked: least-visited US national parks
As America’s public lands register record numbers, we explore the least-visited US national parks It’s been well documented that America’s national parks and hiking trails have seen a surge in visitor numbers as lockdown-weary Americans flocked to the outdoors. In 2021, Yellowstone received an astonishing 4.8 million recreation visits, up 28% from 2020 (3.8 million), making it the busiest year on record. In 2022, as international tourists return, visitor numbers across the National Park System – which is responsible for over 400 sites including 63 national parks – are predicted to increase even further. In response, several destinations have launched reservation systems to counteract the rise. Looking ahead, it may be worth considering alternatives to congested public lands ...
El Chaltén hiking trails: our top 6 picks
We’ve selected six of the best El Chaltén hiking trails, showcasing the finest Andean vistas around Argentina’s trekking capital Patagonia’s El Chaltén hiking trails should be on the bucket list of every serious hiker. The trekking capital of Argentina provides access to a network of well-maintained hiking routes with some of the most breathtaking alpine viewpoints on the continent. The routes are rambling and chaotic at times (underestimate the ever-present winds at your peril), but the rewards are big. The imposing towers of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre steal the show, but the magnificent UNESCO-listed Parque Nacional Los Glaciares has much to offer hikers of every ability. Best hikes around El Chaltén Most trails are well signposted, but before heading out it’s worth dropping by t...
A complete travel photography gear guide
We’re often asked about the gear we take on our travels. In response, we have written a detailed and complete travel photography gear guide I have been involved in film or photography throughout the course of my career: initially as a camera operator, video editor and AV engineer, later as a teacher in digital media, and now as a travel writer. I’ve published photography in a range of magazines, newspapers, books and websites including BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, The Telegraph and The Independent among others. I even provided the photography for a recipe book once. I’ve also sold stock images for several years on Shutterstock and iStock by Getty Images, and my photography plays a prominent role throughout our travel blog and social channels, particularly Instagram. ...
When nature calls: why going to the toilet in the outdoors may be about to change
Burying your waste may no longer be the most sustainable way to go to the toilet in the outdoors, according to new research The number of people using public lands in the US has been steadily increasing for years. The pandemic accelerated the trend as lockdown-weary Americans flocked to outdoor spaces in record numbers. The increase in visitors saw several parks and landmarks introduce reservation systems to counteract the unsustainable rise in visitor numbers. From 2019 to 2021, a study found that there was an increase of 8.1 million hikers and 7.9 million campers in the US. In 2021, the National Park System (NPS) announced that 44 US national parks had set new records for recreational visits that year. Numbers across the NPS are forecast to rise even further in 2022 as international...
