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Tackle towering dunes in a 4WD

While Arizona lays claim to some rather thrilling rock formations, the American state isn’t the only one. At Wadi Bani Awf, we can assure you this is thrill-seeking of a different kind. Welcome to one of Oman’s most memorable off-road drives. Pick out your 4WD and once you’ve packed your gear – think spare tyre, spanners, water, a hearty picnic and mini barbecue – buckle up and hold on tight as you begin the gravity-defying descent over the precipice and into Wadi Ban Awf. Tackle tough climbs and jagged descents as you power across the 25-kilometre off-road trail, zig-zagging along switchbacks and through majestic mountain passes.

Prepare to lose your breath again as you soak up the incredible limestone cliffs that soar into the sky on either side; feel your eyes pop at the sheer drop into the canyon beside the road, witness bursts of colour from lemon, mango and date plantations; and spot the occasional village ensconced among the shadows of the jebel (mountain). After gawping at the incredible landscape pull up on the side of the road (in a safe spot, of course) and cook up a feast while overlooking the rugged fissures and vast chasms on either side of you. Keen to experience this arid landscape but don’t think your driving chops are up to the task? Consider joining a tour so you can simply sit back and enjoy the scenery, drawing comfort in the knowledge that you can safely keep your eyes shut at the scary bits.

Get loose at an all-night subzero party

Celebrating the quirky side of Canada’s City of Design, Nuit Blanche flips the bird at the weatherman and proves Montrealers can party under any circumstances.

From 6pm to 6am revellers let loose across town as galleries throw open their doors, projections dance over buildings and art lurks in dark corners. To work up to the all-nighter, the 11-day Montréal en Lumiére festival precedes the event, but wild Nuit Blanche is the ultimate climax.

Bundle up and hope for snow, swill a cocktail, then try your hand at an art class – after a few tipples you won’t give a damn when your painting resembles a four-year-old’s masterpiece.

Spear a sausage and roast it over the braziers at Place des Festivals, then head to the street stalls selling maple syrup taffy poured into fresh snow. The sugar fix should help you gain top speed while hurtling down the 110-metre ice slide that slices through an open-air dance party, before you shake it to pulsing sound, lasers and smoke while enclosed in a giant glass cube.

Head underground to escape the frost as Art Souterrain (Art Underground) kicks off with live performances and art projects scattered throughout the pedestrian network. Many activities wrap up around 2am but the best parties pump on till dawn.

If, among the comedy, poetry, dance, flicks, karaoke, beer tasting, circus acts, erotic bondage, rock climbing and ice carving, you don’t stumble upon something that excites you, then you haven’t explored enough. Exhibitions change each year – although we’d love the return of Aquart, an underwater art gallery explored with a scuba kit – so there’s always something new to unearth.

The Grand Canyon of the Middle East

Travel through the rugged Hajar Mountains to the township of Nizwa, the ancient capital of Oman on a Gray Line tour. Here you’ll have the chance to visit the Nizwa Fort, an incredible example of Oman’s ancient architecture, and the Traditional Souq where you can sample dates, halwa (a gelatinous dessert) and buy spices, jewellery and pottery.

From there you will travel through the deep Wadi Ghul, a vast cleft in the mountains, and arrive at Jebel Shams, “mountain of the sun,” the undisputed lord of the mountains. This is the highest peak of the Jebel Al Akhdar mountain range, and it soars 3000 metres above sea level and looks out over the Grand Canyon of Oman. Take in the spectacular scenery, ancient rock carvings and remote villages before continuing to the beautiful old village of Misfah, which is perched on the side of a mountain where narrow ancient stone pathways lead you into the valley below.

After enjoying lunch in a local restaurant at the top of the mountain, you will explore this ancient labyrinth in the Al Hamra region before your return trip to Muscat, the capital. To experience the Grand Canyon is to experience the very best of Oman.

Experience Himalayan tantric rituals

In peak season the famous Annapurna or Everest base trekking routes can feel not dissimilar to the traffic jams of your daily commute. Instead of battling with the crowds, leave the trekking highways behind and head to the remote Eastern Himalayas in the Tibetan borderlands of Nepal. Tour group Whistling Arrow has a new trekking route in the area, Northern Treasures, only accessible because of their personal connections with the villagers of, a traditional weaving community in the area.

The 20-day Northern Treasures trek takes you through the cardamom-coated Tamor Valley, to remote villages and gompas (Buddhist monasteries) and across Himalayan passes, peaking with the staggering 5160m Lamba Sumba Kharka.

It’s highly unlikely that you’ll see any other trekkers and in your small group of six, you have the rare opportunity to take part in a seldom seen Tibetan Buddhist festival, hosted by a monastery in the Dzogchen tradition. Participating in tantric rituals and watching fiercely masked deities dance against a Himalayan backdrop won’t be a sight you’ll forget anytime soon.

A couple of days later you’ll be guided to a sacred lake, Singjengma Pokhari, that also just happens to be the home of eight wild snow leopards… not kidding. It’s thought that those of strong faith will be able to see their future karmic path reflected in the clear waters of the lake. Whether your faith stands the test or not this Himalayan trek is sure to get you in touch with your spiritual side, as well as your aching quads.

Take a tour of Paris’s sewer system

Beneath the enchanting scenes of the Seine and Paris’s cobblestone footpaths lies the route for one of the city’s oldest tours. Since the latter part of the nineteenth century, the Paris Sewer Museum has guided tourists and locals alike through the pungent labyrinth of its underground system.

It’s a true feat of early engineering and design – construction began in the 1300s – but this museum isn’t for those with a delicate disposition. With fully dressed mannequins posed as workers and thoroughly entertaining information about the city and its catacombs on offer, this is a tour that neither you nor your nostrils will be able to forget.

Marvel at the giant balls once used to clean the sewers, which look like they could have been plucked from the set of an Indiana Jones movie. Paris’s sewer network spans some 2, 100 kilometres, and tours were once conducted by locomotive-drawn carriages and also by boat. Guided tours are available, or go it alone.

The sculpture that formed a micronation

Who would have thought a Swedish national park could attract so much controversy? Hidden in the Kullaberg Nature Reserve in Skåne in the country’s south, is the giant sculpture Nimis (Latin for ‘too much’), constructed by controversial Swedish artist Lars Vilks. Built entirely from driftwood – at least so it’s believed – Vilks started crafting the structure in 1980, and it took two years before anybody even noticed.

Once it was uncovered, a series of convoluted court battles between Vilks and the local council led to the artist to declare one square kilometre of the nature reserve as autonomous from Sweden. And so the Royal Republic of Ladonia was born in 1996.

The micronation has a flag, a motto, two unnamed anthems, a capital, several official languages, a government, a queen, a president, a vice-president, a state secretary and almost 18,000 citizens worldwide. You can apply to become a citizen via the website for free, or even opt for a noble title for a small fee. Despite all this, nobody actually lives there.

The sculpture itself is impressively large, and as you climb down through it you feel as though you’re entering Netherland. The driftwood has been intricately cobbled together using nails and whatever else Vilks could get his hands on, to create an epic wooden labyrinth with tunnels you can climb through, and towers you can climb on. It’s awesome in both scale and concept.

All hail Vilks, the founder of Ladonia.

Loop around Amsterdam’s best buildings

Its most familiar calling cards might be coffeeshops and the Red Light district, but Amsterdam offers plenty beyond these less than salubrious features. A city founded some 800 years ago, there is a wealth of history hiding in its canal-side cobblestone streets. And with a little research you can uncover it all in one fell swoop by foot or on one of the capital’s ubiquitous bicycles.

Most conveniently, a KLM flight attendant has done all the hard work for you and come up with a handy pre-plotted route that includes 37 of Amsterdam’s most impressive edifices and takes in the vast bulk of the city’s thoroughfares.

Visitors begin (and finish) the 13-kilometre walk at the palace-like Amsterdam Central Station – a rijksmonuments, or national heritage site, built in 1889. After that you’ll mosey along one of the oldest canals in Amsterdam, delving straight into the tangle of tiny alleys that is De Wallen, the Dutch capital’s largest Red Light District.

Next up is Zeedijk, the home of the the city’s Chinatown, where you’ll stop to eye the 15th century De Waag, or Weigh House. It’s said to be the oldest remaining non-religious building in all of Amsterdam. This turreted structure was even depicted by Rembrandt in his 1632 painting The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp.

Then you’ll whizz over countless bridges, through numerous stone squares and past several museums, galleries, breweries and historic warehouses before landing on Prinsengracht, or Prince’s Canal, often called one of the city’s most beautiful stretches.

Some three hours later you’ll wind up at the final stop, and the most Dutch of all institutions: the gin bar. Neck more than 70 different liqueurs and genevers in tulip glasses, all produced in-house using traditional 17th century craft methods.

If you want to get your mitts on a tangible replica of these historic houses you’ll need to fly business class with KLM, where each passenger is presented with their own miniature delft house. Every year on the date of KLM’s anniversary, 7 October, a new house is added to the collection. There are 97 models now.

Brave a safari on foot in Kenya

Experience the thrill of creeping up on a lion with no enclosed Jeep to separate you from the King of the Jungle – or in this case, King of the vast Laikipia Plateau.

Go beyond the reaches of a 4WD on a walking safari with Bench Africa, guided by members of the Samburu tribe, who live mainly in north-central Kenya (they’re related to, but distinct from, the Maasai people). Dressed in traditional attire they’ll lead camels carting all the essentials – food, water, cameras, camping gear – and, whenever needed, weary walkers.

The camp roams with you each day, and although it’s dismantled again and again, you never sacrifice comfort. Especially if you select the luxury option, as you’ll slumber in a tent with a proper bed, mattress and linen.

In the afternoons, as you explore the area around your new camp, it’s just you and the wild terrain. Oh, and the staff members bringing you snacks and icy G&Ts to garnish your sunset. As you sit around the evening campfire your guides will share tales and teach you about their culture, while your dinner sizzles above the flames.

When you’re worn out, sink between linen and listen to the lullaby sung by the bush.

Get pounded by rockets, for fun

Getting set on fire isn’t everyone’s idea of a party, but this rocket festival attracts tens of thousands to Tainan each year, even though it’s one of the most dangerous parties in the world. Best described as participatory fireworks, the missiles at the Yanshui Beehive Rockets Festival don’t light up the sky – they detonate into the audience.

It all began after an outbreak of cholera in 1875 caused the population to waste away. Fearful of the demons believed to have unleashed the epidemic, survivors lit lanterns to welcome Guan Di, the god of war, then added firecrackers to banish the baddies. The illness disappeared and the town continues the fiery festival to keep further catastrophe at bay.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, shelves of the double-storey pao cheng (artillery fortresses) are stuffed with millions of red bottle rockets, ready for action at dusk. Once the sun sets, volunteers carry palanquins sporting deities around the streets, which they rock over fires before lighting the rockets arranged on beehive-shaped launchers.

The rockets bite into the crowd and scream past spectators who take to hiding behind cars and buildings. ‘Sensible’ participants dress like astronauts, bundling into non-flammable protective wear, complete with earplugs, gloves and helmets – the rockets may be made of paper but they’re more than capable of leaving a juicy bruise – while the most pious wear nothing but towels and faith for protection. Revellers dance in the ash and slap one another’s backs to shake off smouldering rubble. After counting fingers and toes players either head to a street stall for a beer and a breather or join the mayhem at the next wall and battle on until dawn.

Walk among fire and ice

Waterfalls, vast glaciers and volcanoes. Need we say more? Covering 13 per cent of Iceland’s landscape, Vatnajökull National Park is as versatile as it is large. And although this natural playground of fire and ice was designated a national park as recently as 2008, its attractions formed eons ago. In the north, you’ll uncover Dettifoss, considered to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe; the iconic horseshoe-curved cliffs of Ásbyrgi; and volcanoes erupting from the earth between threads of glacial rivers. Among these volcanoes are Kverkfjöll and Snæfell, the colourful craters of Askja, and the Queen of the Mountains – otherwise known as the volcanic table mountain Herðubreið.

Transitioning to the south you’ll encounter part of the park known for its towering mountain ridges. Here the central volcano of Öræfajökull and Iceland’s highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur, scrape at the sky. Witnessing it all from afar is breathtaking, but there’s nothing quite like setting off on a true adventure. Pull on your explorer’s hat and join an ice walking or climbing tour, try your hand at snowmobiling across the glacier or descend between the glassy walls of an ice cave. Though the Vatnajökull glacier’s icecap covers a large portion of the park (it’s the largest icecap in Europe), the variety of geological curiosities that inhabit the national park make for an incredible visit.

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