Travel
Travel
Mountains, ocean and cities on several continents. Here are reviews of places with practical tips, and the map shows every country and spot visited.
Summits by elevation
Places
Summit5895 mTanzania · 2018
Kilimanjaro
Africa's highest point at 5,895 m: about a week on foot through five climate zones, then a night push to Uhuru Peak on the rim of Kibo.
Summit5642 mRussia · 2017
Mount Elbrus
Russia's and Europe's highest point, 5,642 m: a twin-peaked dormant volcano where the real challenges are altitude, wind and sudden storms.
Summit3031 mIndonesia
Mount Agung
Bali's highest and holiest mountain, 3,031 m: a steep night climb up a volcano for sunrise over Mount Batur and Lombok's Rinjani.
- MoSummit1717 m
Indonesia
Mount Batur
An active Bali volcano, 1,717 m: two hours of climbing in the dark for sunrise over the caldera, Lake Batur and the cone of Mount Agung.
- IjSummit
Indonesia
Ijen Crater
A volcano in East Java: blue flames of burning sulfur at night, then a turquoise acid lake and miners hauling heavy baskets at dawn.
Summit4207 mUnited States · 2020
Mauna Kea
Hawaii's highest point at 4,207 m and a world-class astronomy site: sunset above the clouds among the domes of the summit telescopes.
Summit2243 mSri Lanka · 2016
Adam's Peak
Sri Lanka's sacred mountain, 2,243 m: a night pilgrimage up thousands of steps and the peak's triangular shadow on the clouds at sunrise.
- MoSummit2285 m
Egypt
Mount Sinai
The Mountain of Moses in southern Sinai, 2,285 m: a night climb to sunrise over granite ridges, with St Catherine's Monastery at its foot.
Summit1469 mRussia · 2016
Tulymsky Kamen
Perm Krai's highest point, 1,469 m: boulder fields, mountain tundra and a multi-day trek through the Vishera reserve, open only with a permit.
CityArgentina · 2025
Ushuaia
One of the world's southernmost cities, on the Beagle Channel: gateway to Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego park and the penguins of Isla Martillo.
- IgNature
Argentina
Iguazu Falls
Nearly 3 km of waterfalls on the Argentina–Brazil border: catwalks over the Devil's Throat, spray, rainbows and subtropical forest all around.
NatureArgentina · 2025
Aconcagua Provincial Park
The park below the highest peak in the Americas, 6,960.8 m: a short trail to Laguna de Horcones with a view of Aconcagua's South Face.
NatureArgentina · 2025
Mount Fitz Roy
A granite spire above El Chaltén, Argentina's trekking capital: the trail to Laguna de los Tres and a skyline familiar from the Patagonia logo.
NatureArgentina · 2025
Perito Moreno Glacier
A glacier 80 km from El Calafate: a 5 km wall of ice, walkways facing it head-on and the crack of ice before blocks crash into the lake.
SightJordan
Petra
The Nabataean city in Jordan's rose-colored rock: the narrow Siq gorge, the Treasury's carved facade and some 800 steps up to the Monastery.
- YuSight
Mexico
Yucatán and Chichén Itzá
The Maya peninsula of southeastern Mexico: the Kukulcán pyramid at Chichén Itzá and thousands of cenotes, limestone sinkholes of clear water.
UnderwaterPhilippines · 2017
Cebu Reefs
Coral reefs off Moalboal on Cebu: millions of sardines 20–30 m from the beach, sea turtles and the sheer walls of Pescador Island.
SightUnited States · 2020
Clown Motel
A motel in the mining town of Tonopah, Nevada: more than 2,000 clown figures in the lobby and an old miners' cemetery right next door.
NatureUnited States · 2018
Dead Horse Point
A Utah state park near Moab: a 600 m drop to a bend of the Colorado River, red canyons to the horizon and bright blue evaporation ponds.
CityMalaysia · 2017
Petronas Twin Towers
Kuala Lumpur's 452 m twin towers: a skybridge 170 m up between them, an observation deck on the 86th floor and KLCC Park at their feet.
- KoNature
Thailand
Koh Chang
Thailand's Elephant Island in the eastern Gulf: jungle-clad mountains with waterfalls, west-coast beaches and the stilt village of Bang Bao.
NaturePortugal · 2024
Madeira
A Portuguese island in the Atlantic: a runway partly on columns above the shore, levada trails through laurel forest and several climates in a day.
NatureTanzania · 2018
Ngorongoro Crater
A collapsed volcanic caldera about 20 km across in northern Tanzania. Its floor holds savanna, a hippo pool, elephants and lions.
SightIndonesia
Uluwatu
A sea temple on a limestone cliff about 70 m high at the southern tip of Bali, above one of the island's best-known surf breaks. Kecak is danced here at sunset.
NaturePhilippines · 2017
Kawasan Falls
A cascade of turquoise falls in southwest Cebu and the end point of the island's popular canyoneering trip: jumps into pools and a river descent through jungle.
SightUnited States · 2020
International Car Forest, Goldfield
A desert art site in Nevada: dozens of painted cars and buses planted nose-down in the ground. It sits off US-95, the same road as the Clown Motel.
NatureUnited States · 2018
Canyonlands
A Utah national park where the Colorado and Green rivers cut hundreds of metres into the plateau. The Shafer Trail switchbacks drop from the Island in the Sky rim.
NatureUnited States · 2018
Arches National Park
More than 2,000 natural sandstone arches in Utah. The best known, Delicate Arch, is reached by a trail of about 5 km round trip.
NatureUnited States · 2018
Yellowstone
The world's first national park, on a volcanic plateau in Wyoming: geysers, boiling springs and the Grand Prismatic Spring with its rainbow-coloured rim.
NatureUnited States · 2018
Grand Teton
The Teton Range rises abruptly above Jackson Hole in Wyoming, topping out at 4,199 m. The park borders Yellowstone, so the two fit into one trip.
NatureUnited States · 2018
Horseshoe Bend
A horseshoe-shaped meander of the Colorado River near Page, Arizona, seen from a cliff-edge overlook about 300 m above the water, a 1.2 km walk from the parking lot.
NatureUnited States · 2020
Death Valley
The hottest and lowest place in North America: Badwater Basin lies 86 m below sea level. Zabriskie Point is the classic sunrise view over the coloured badlands.
NatureUnited States · 2020
Yosemite
A glacial valley in the Sierra Nevada framed by the granite walls of El Capitan and Half Dome and by waterfalls up to 740 m tall. Autumn is quieter and more colourful.
CityUnited States · 2018
San Francisco
The Golden Gate Bridge is best seen from the Marin Headlands, when only its towers rise out of the fog. A colony of sea lions lives on the docks of Pier 39.
CityUnited States · 2018
Las Vegas
A casino city in the middle of the Mojave Desert. The free Bellagio fountain show runs every 15 to 30 minutes, set to music and lights in the evening.
CityUnited States · 2020
New York
The Empire State Building, 443 m to the tip of its spire, has defined the Manhattan skyline since 1931. Its observation decks are on the 86th and 102nd floors.
CityUnited Arab Emirates · 2018
Dubai
The Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building at 828 m. Its observation decks are on levels 124–125 and 148; go up about an hour before sunset.
SightItaly · 2017
Milan Cathedral
The Gothic Duomo took almost six centuries to build; its roof is a forest of 135 spires and marble statues, reachable on foot or by lift.
CityItaly · 2017
Venice
A city on 118 islands in a lagoon. From the 99 m campanile of St Mark's, reached by lift, you see the basilica's domes, the rooftops and the lagoon.
CityItaly · 2017
Florence
Brunelleschi's dome over Santa Maria del Fiore is the largest brick dome ever built. 463 steps lead to the top; book tickets in advance.
SightItaly · 2017
Pisa
The Square of Miracles: the cathedral, the baptistery and the Leaning Tower, about 56 m tall and tilted almost 4°. Tower climbs run in timed groups.
CityTürkiye · 2026
Istanbul
A city on two continents along the Bosphorus. Hagia Sophia has stood for almost 1,500 years; three bridges cross the strait, the northernmost being Yavuz Sultan Selim.
SightCambodia
Angkor
The capital of the Khmer Empire near Siem Reap. At Ta Prohm tree roots grip the ruins; Angkor Wat holds hundreds of metres of bas-reliefs with apsara dancers.
CitySingapore · 2017
Singapore
A city-state just north of the equator. Marina Bay, with Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay, is best seen in the evening during the light show.
NatureRussia · 2023
Kamchatka
A peninsula of volcanoes, about 30 of them active, with geysers and bears and foxes on the tundra. Many spots are reachable only by Mi-8 helicopter.
CityUzbekistan · 2023
Samarkand
One of Central Asia's oldest cities. The Shah-i-Zinda necropolis is a street of 14th–15th-century mausoleums clad in turquoise and blue tiles.