A towel laid out on an icing sugar stretch of sand, the sweet juice of a tender green coconut, an aquamarine sea gently lapping the shore, fresh seafood on the menu every evening – Port Salut in Haiti’s south ticks the boxes of the perfect Caribbean holiday destination. But despite its picture postcard nature, there’s only a handful of other tourists in sight.
Recent years have seen tourism to Haiti flounder as a result of 2010’s devastating earthquake and a wave of political instability. But now the country has its sights firmly set on rebuilding the local tourism industry, with Port Salut a major focus. A major new all-inclusive resort just opened in the north – could the south be next? Either way, we’d strongly advise you get here sooner rather than later. With waterfalls, caves and historic ruins all within easy reach of the low-key hotels and guesthouses peppered around Port Salut, this tropical secret is bound to catch the attention of the world in the not too distant future.
Set up shop on the east Coast of Upolu, Samoa’s main island, and spot tropical fish from your beach hut. Spend your days cooling off in the shallows or kayaking around uninhabited Nu’utele Island, rising dramatically from the water just a kilometre off shore. Lonely Planet lists Lalomanu among its top 10 Paradises on Earth and not without reason – the powdery sand remains deserted, save some simple fales (huts) for hire, a couple of restaurants selling fresh fish, coconuts and cocktails, and the verdant tendrils of vines creeping towards the lagoon.
Having enchanted travellers for decades, the Trans-Siberian Railway celebrated its hundredth birthday in 2016. Weaving through Eurasia from Beijing to Saint Petersburg, this 9289-kilometre journey is the ultimate adventure. Explore China’s Forbidden City and soak up the history of the Great Wall, then settle into your carriage. Lose yourself in ever-changing landscapes as you’re whisked to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital.
Drive to Khustain National Park, where indigenous takhi (Asian wild horses) roam the grasslands, and spend a night at a traditional ger (yurt) camp living as the nomads do. Next, it’s full steam ahead into Russia. Visit the glassy waters of Lake Baikal in southern Siberia, and marvel at the unique architecture and eye-popping colours of St Basil’s Cathedral and the Kremlin in Moscow, before arriving at your final destination, Saint Petersburg. It might seem like a long journey, but there’s no better way to watch the world fly by than on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Smouldering volcanos and mummies sound more like what you’d find on the set of an Indiana Jones film rather than an island holiday, but a trip to remote Papua New Guinea offers more than snorkelling and beautiful beaches – although it has plenty of those, too. Head to Rabaul, on the island of New Britain, for a two-week volcano-viewing adventure with filmmaker and photojournalist Ulla Lohmann and climbing instructor Basti Hofmann. This once bustling city was destroyed by violent eruptions more than 20 years ago, and while soot-covered ruins remain, so does a resilient community.
Learn about the region’s seismic activity with a volcanologist, meet local foragers who gather megapode eggs buried two metres under volcanic ash, and spend your nights in simple guesthouses and tents pitched within view of the chugging cone. For one night you’ll sleep on a deserted island surrounded by an incredible reef, where you’ll practise your sunset photography and capture shots of the Milky Way. Jet back to Lae on the mainland for the second week and travel into the jungle to see the mummies of the Anga clan. In remote villages the bodies of the deceased are smoked for up to 30 days to preserve their flesh and are then cared for to ensure their spirits don’t misbehave. Toward the end of your trip you’ll bid sunlight goodbye and enter a vast limestone cave full of stalagmites, rock paintings and a burial ledge scattered with remains. It’s an experience unlike any you’ve ever imagined, and one you’ll never forget.
Pack your camera and adventurous spirit, because this is Mongolia, where wild grasslands, thriving markets and diverse culture are the perfect setting for anyone interested in photography. Here, a tutor will teach you to navigate your camera’s intricate functions and share techniques to craft the best shots. Learn the rules of composition while snapping the sunset over the Khongoryn Els dunes, experiment with shutter speed at the waterfalls of Ulaan Tsutgalan, and master portraiture when photographing nomadic families.
You’ll visit ger (yurt) camps along the way, immersing yourself in nomadic life and sampling traditional dishes like khorkhog (slow-cooked mutton and vegetables). You’ll even get out from behind the lens to construct a ger, distil your own vodka, and ride horses across the countryside. As stars dot the night sky, relax beside the campfire and compare the day’s shots with your fellow snappers.
Join a flotilla and cruise through the Venetian Lagoon. You’ll feel all class as you sail your own small boat, travelling in a fleet of up to eight, to –
Meet your guide in Casale, admire the brightly coloured buildings of the Burano islands, and splash some cash on keepsakes from the seven-kilometre pedestrian shopping street – the world’s largest – of Lido di Jesolo. Cruise to Chioggia, dubbed Little Venice for its serene township, to sample the freshest seafood at local markets, before cruising to the real Venice for gondolas, roses and a walk through St Mark’s Square. Socialise with your fellow sailors or explore at your own pace.
All year round the Cuevas de Nerja are a popular Málagan tourist attraction. Remains found in them suggest they’ve been inhabited since about 25,000BC and have, in the years since, been used for everything from farming to pottery production. But once a year they take on a much grander role, hosting the Festival Internacional de Música y Danza de Granada.
The festival is held in June and July each year, and 2017 will be its fifty-eighth iteration. Internationally renowned performers including Yehudi Menuhin, José Carreras and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa have all filled the caves with their soulful songs, while dancers from the Ballet Nacional de España and La Lupi Flamenco have soared across the stage.
Chase the northern lights while exploring the natural wonders of Iceland. Begin your adventure with a stroll through Reykjavík’s old town then, as night falls, set sail along Faxaflói Bay in search of the aurora.
By day, you’ll journey to some of Iceland’s most incredible wonders. Experience the powerful geothermal fields, marvel at thundering waterfalls, and sink your toes into black volcanic sand on a stunning beach. Delve into the history of Icelandic life in Skogar Folk Museum, and, at Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Visitor Centre, discover how the locals coped after the mountain’s 2010 eruption. Watch giant blocks of ice bob in the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, then swap chills for thrills and plunge into the steaming Blue Lagoon. As the sun sinks below the horizon once more, rug up and set out to bask in the otherworldly glow of the northern lights.
Botswana is so well known for the Okavango Delta that its other astonishing landscapes are often overlooked. See another side of the country on a trip to the otherworldly Makgadikgadi Salt Pan. Start your expedition in ultra luxury at Jack’s Camp, then don your desert boots, swing onto the seat of a quad bike and zoom off towards Kubu Island, 120 kilometres away.
Discover a unique landscape of dry granite rock, visit the end of the Great Rift Valley, a 120-metre escarpment formed by parting tectonic plates, and find semi-precious stones hiding among water-worn pebbles at the extinct mouth of the Zambezi River. At night you’ll sleep under a star-studded sky but that’s not to say you’ll bid opulence goodbye. A roaming drinks cabinet comes with you too, and meals are served atop damask table linen with bone-handled silver and fancy glassware.
In the heart of Minnehaha Regional Park in Minneapolis, you’ll find a creek that eventually cascades 16 metres into a pool not far from the Mississippi River. The Minnehaha Falls has been a top tourist attraction since 1855, when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote about it in A Song for Hiawatha (you can see a statue of the co-founder of the Iroquois Confederacy not far from the falls). But for part of the year the water stops falling. In the depths of winter, it freezes up, creating a bright blue, glowing grotto. There are paths down to the falls, which you can walk behind and take photos.
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