Scared of ghosts? For those who like a good haunting, the dead are very much alive in Madagascar. The Malagasy tradition, known as razana, dictates that the living serve their dead ancestors by carrying out the spirits’ bidding from beyond the grave. Some communities even exhume and rewrap their dead loved ones seven years after they’ve been buried.
Razana is tied to a deep culture of fady (taboo) that locals take deadly seriously, and are offended when tourists ignore their beliefs. Think you’re a sensitive, seasoned traveller, immune to boorish backpacker behaviour? You may not be quite as savvy as you imagine, because in some communities wearing swimming goggles is considered an affront. When travelling to a different township be sure to ask your guide about the local taboos.
If you remain of the living, you’ll discover Madagascar is a biosphere unlike any other. For travellers there’s an array of water sports, dense rainforests to trek and 90 per cent of the wildlife is unique to the island. Just be careful of those cunning lemurs – their name means ‘spirits of the dead.’
They say good things come in small packages and Lithuania is certainly tiny. Taking up only about 65,300 square kilometres of Eastern Europe, it manages to cram in a hugely diverse range of heritage, culture and natural beauty, making for an excellent piece of proof for this rule.
Situated on the Baltic Sea, perhaps the most awe-inspiring of all its features is the sandy, white Curonian Spit (a long, thin dune that separates the lake of the same name from the sea) – it’s not difficult to see why French writer Jean-Paul Sarte described it as being like the ‘entrance to paradise’. Despite this entrance setting a high bar, the rest of the country doesn’t disappoint. You can explore castles in Trakai, muddle through archeological sites in Kernave then take your pick of the five national parks to get a breath of really fresh air. For those of you with bad knees, the highest point in the country is less than 300 metres above sea level, so there’s no excuse not to get your walking shoes on.
It might be small and it might be quiet, but it’s definitely a country to yell to the world about.
There aren’t many square metres of Kyrgyzstan that aren’t covered by mountains and rolling pastures (called jailoos), so if you’re after late-night action and crazy hook-ups with other wacky backpackers it may not be the place for.
If not though, try to memorise the spelling and get researching, because this Central Asian country may just change the way you travel for good. This is a country where there is little in the way of an infrastructure for visitors – about the only tourists you’ll find are the Russians who drop their towels on the shores of Lake Issyk-Köl in the summer.
Instead you’ll get around as the locals do, enjoying hanging out with families at their homestays. This is a chance to experience Kyrgyz life, stay in a yurt and sample traditional meals. In between, hike in the Tian Shan mountains, see the alpine lakes and go horse riding. If you want to observe an ancient ritual, rock up in March when Nowruz, a celebration of winter’s end, takes place. The highlight is the playing of the Kyrgyzstan national sport, kok-buru. Basically two teams of horsemen compete over a goat carcass, trying to get it in their goal at one end of a playing field. Yep, it’s gruesome.
There are some cities dotted around, but they’re generally just a place to regroup before heading out into the wilderness again. As far as adventures go, it doesn’t come much better than this undiscovered gem.
Sadly, many of the countries surrounding it are completely off limits for travellers these days, but anyone interested in the ancient world or a more modern Middle East can still explore Jordan.
No doubt, most visitors head straight for Petra, the incredible pink city built by the Nabataeans in about 300BC and undiscovered by explorers from the western world until 1812. For ancient history buffs, however, there are plenty of other impressive architectural sites, including the Umm Al-Jimal Ruins near the Syrian border, with about 150 buildings still visible, and the 2000-year-old Greco-Roman city of Jerash. Even the capital Amman boasts Roman ruins among its mosques, malls and cafes.
Go 4WDing to Wadi Rum, an amazing red landscape of rock formations and riverbeds, before sleeping under the stars at one of the camps. There’s hiking to be done at the Wadi Mujiz canyon, and reefs to be explored at Aqaba on the Red Sea, Jordan’s only resort town.
Its name means ‘land of many waters’, and Guyana lives up to it completely, with a stack of watery sights worth a squizz. There’s Kaieteur Falls, which is five times the height of Niagara, as well as the aptly named Shell Beach where four of the world’s most endangered species of sea turtles come to nest. Aquatically, you won’t be disappointed.
On land, too, there’s no shortage of natural wonders, since Guyana has developed some of the most ambitious conservation practices anywhere in the continent. There’s the Iwokrama Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development, for instance, where thousands of square kilometres of virgin rainforest are home to jaguars, bats, otters, anteaters, caimans and lots more creatures. Visitors can stay on site and go on excursions to Amerindian villages, walk in the canopy and spot caimans at night.
If things start to get too peaceful and meditative though, the rollicking capital Georgetown awaits, with a wild Caribbean nightlife and vibrant food scene.
Within the mountains of Central America lies Guatemala, a country rich in history, culture and natural appeal. This is the birthplace of the Maya civilisation, and despite many of the rainforest cities having been abandoned hundreds of years ago, the Maya still live and thrive in the highlands. Visitors can easily get to the Ixil Triangle in the western highlands to experience this culture for themselves.
Guatemala boasts one of the most beautiful cities in the Americas, Antigua, with its backdrop of volcanoes. Here the colonial architecture is unmissable, and its markets and squares are pulsing with energy. On a day trip from the city, you can hike up the rumbling, lava-oozing Volcan de Papaya, the most active volcano in Central America.
Travel to Tikal, an incredibly well-preserved collection of soaring Maya temples set deep in the rainforest, or spend a few days exploring the villages on the shores of Lago de Atitlán. The lake itself is huge and one of the most spectacular you’ll find. Panajachel is the main town, then take the boats that crisscross the water to other villages.
For adventurous types, this is a country with plenty to offer, from multi-day hikes across the Sierra Las Minas, with its untouched cloud forests, to kayaking on the Caribbean coast. The only thing stopping you will be a lack of time left on the itinerary.
Travellers who like to get high – no, not like that – should definitely add Georgia to their lists of places to visit. This country at the crossroads of Asia and Europe is dominated by the Greater and Lesser Caucasus mountain ranges – it’s so picturesque visitors have been known to pinch themselves to ensure they’re not dreaming. Lush green valleys rise to huge peaks – at 5201 metres, Mount Shkhara is the second highest peak in Europe – offering a huge number of opportunities for anyone who hikes, mountain bikes, rides horses or fancies visiting villages that seem as though they haven’t changed for a decades. In the country’s east, the Black Sea laps on pebbled beaches backed by mountains near the holiday city of Batumi.
Not surprisingly, given its location on a narrow neck of land that joins Europe via Russia with the Middle East, this is a place of many cultures. In fact, the welcoming locals claim this is where wine-making began, so ensure you try a tipple from the region. Take a wander around Mtskheta, one of the oldest cities in Georgia, having been inhabited since before 1000BC. It’s only 20 kilometres from capital Tbilisi, and its collection of medieval churches has earned it a UNESCO World Heritage listing. In fact, the whole country is a must for those who dig religious relics – the fourteenth-century Tsminda Sameba Church, one of the country’s most photographed landmarks, sits with a backdrop of Mount Kazbek about a 90-minute walk from the village of Kazbegi.
Huge steps have been taken to preserve the outstanding natural resources of this equatorial African nation. Rainforest covers about 80 per cent of its land mass, and, in 2002, former president Omar Bongo Ondimba set aside about 10 per cent of the entire country to national parks.
The best known of those is Loango with its surfing hippos and elephants grazing by crashing waves. Humpback whales splash off the shore on their migration (mid-July to mid-September).
Pirogue (canoe) trips up the Ivindo River take travellers into a land of heavy forest and waterfalls. In the trees above, you’ll catch glimpses of monkeys and African grey parrots, while hippos are resident in the water. Ivindo National Park is also home to Langoué Bai, a forest clearing discovered by Mike Fay in 2000, where there’s a research centre to track the animals – elephants and gorillas among them – lured by the rich food in the area.
There are large populations of gorillas and chimpanzees in the Lopé National Park, but for wildlife lovers this is also where you can find the world’s largest gathering of primates – about 1350 mandrills hang out together here in the dry season from July to August. Hornbills and forest kingfishers can also be spotted in the trees.
Libreville (named thus for the freed slaves who built it), stretched along the northwest coastline, is the country’s only city. Gabon is flush with money from oil, and this town is neat, trim and tidy, unlike almost all of the rest of Africa. For a true taste of the continent, head to Mont-Bouët market or to L’Odika, a popular restaurant in the Quartier Louis that serves French-African fusion dishes.
English explorer Samuel Wallis wouldn’t have believed his luck when he landed in Tahiti, the future crown jewel of French Polynesia, in 1767. It would take some time, but eventually islands like Bora Bora would become renowned as a honeymooner’s barefoot bliss. But it’s not all snogging and snorkels, and you don’t need to be loved up to escape here.
The more adventurous will be rewarded for leaving their seductive villas, with the chance to crawl through lava tubes and swim with sharks dotted among the 118 islands. The dramatic peaks and valleys of the main island, Tahiti, beckon climbers, while cascading waterfalls yearn to be abseiled and rocky outcrops need someone to catapult off them. After all that, camping on a deserted beach is a delicious flirt with isolation. Francophiles will love the ability to practise their French and cycle around Papeete with a baguette in the basket.
Further afield, Hiva Oa, the first port of call for those crossing the Pacific from the west, is known as Gauguin’s Island. The artist is buried here in a cemetery overlooking the town of Atuona. Moorea, in the Windwards, is spectacular, with rugged peaks erupting from its gin-clear lagoon. James Michener’s Bali Hai in Tales of the South Pacific was inspired by it. It’s also one of the best islands for adventure and activities.
However you spend your time here, the Tahitian catchcry aita pea pea, meaning “not to worry”, will infect your way of being.
Humans have lived in what is now called Estonia for about 6000 years, making it one of Europe’s oldest continuous settlements. Spend a little while here and you’ll realise why folks never left and, more than that, why it’s fast becoming one of the most talked-about travel destinations. It has plenty going for it, not least that it’s very affordable. It’s also one of the greenest countries in the world, according to the Environmental Protection Index from Yale and Columbia Universities, Literally too, with 50 per cent of the country still covered in forest that harbours critters from brown bears to wolves. Summer is a great time to explore, with hiking and camping popular, along with canoeing on and swimming in lakes. There are also more than 2000 islands scattered along its coastline.
Once you’ve come in from the wild, it’s easy to accidentally get stuck gawking in awe on the streets of old Tallinn. Not only is this Europe’s best preserved medieval city, it’s also blessed with a burgeoning gourmet and nightlife scene.
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