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Fjord Norway
Western Norway, known as Fjord Norway, is home to the world’s largest concentration of the saltwater-filled, glaciated valleys. The iconic destination encompasses 1,646 miles (2,650 kilometers) of pristine coastline, glaciers, mountains, and cascading waterfalls, including the 2,148-foot (655-meter) Mardalsfossen, the world’s fourth highest. The region’s six National Tourist Routes offer easy driving access to bouldering, ice climbing, glacier walking, base jumping, caving, and year-round skiing.
Four UNESCO World Heritage sites are located here, including the deep-blue Geirangerfjord (above), considered one of the world’s most unspoiled fjords. Fjords are best experienced from water level, so hop a ferry, book a cruise, or rent a kayak for unobstructed views of the surrounding snow-covered peaks, steep mountainsides, and abundant wildlife. The midnight sun in June and July brings near round-the-clock daylight and the most visitors. Days are shorter in May and September, but the lighter tourist traffic makes for easy meandering from Kristiansand to Trondheim along the Fjord Coast Route.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Nearly half of Mongolia’s three million residents are nomads, and most of the rest live in Ulaanbaatar—the country's capital and largest city. The cultural, economic, and transportation hub on the Tuul River is the starting point for two-humped Bactrian camel treks and other exotic Gobi desert expeditions, but its ten museums, close proximity to national parks, and collection of imperial palaces and Buddhist monasteries qualify Ulaanbaatar as a destination rather than way station.
Wander through the Narantuul, a 2,500-vendor, open-air market; visit Gandan Monastery—Mongolia’s largest functioning Buddhist monastery—and the adjoining Megjid Janraisig and Kalachakra Temples; and view Stone and Bronze Age artifacts, sacred relics, and fossilized dinosaur bones and eggs found in the Gobi at the National and Natural History Museums. During the July 11-13 National Holiday, Ulaanbaatar hosts the nation’s largest Naadam Festival, a legendary cultural celebration featuring wrestling, archery and cross-country horse racing competitions, plus traditional costumes and dance.
Black Sea Coast, Crimea
The Black Sea coast of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula remains a mystery to most North American travelers. With its subtropical climate, underwater grottos, South Shore seaside resorts (including Yalta, Simeiz, Alushta, Koreiz, and Gurzuf), Russian imperial palaces, and dramatic white limestone backdrops, this former “Russian Riviera” of the Soviet era attracts savvy European visitors searching for a less crowded, close-to-home Mediterranean alternative.
Beyond the stress-reducing mineral spas, palm trees, vineyards, bike trails, and secluded beaches, the coast is a significant cultural crossroads blending ancient Greek and Roman, Byzantine, Russian, Tatar, and modern Crimean history and architecture. Visit the terrestrial and underwater ruins at the ancient city of Khersoness (4th-12th century B.C.), the neo-Gothic Swallow's Nest castle perched 130 feet (40 meters) above the sea near Yalta, and the Livadia Palace near Yalta—home of the last of the Russian tsars and site of the Big Three’s (Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin) 1945 Yalta Conference.
Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
Croatia's 1,104-mile (1,776-kilometer) island-speckled Adriatic coast is a popular playground for sea kayakers, sailors, kite surfers, and divers. Additional water wonders await those willing to travel inland (a four-hour bus ride from the coast) to the mountainous, eastern Plitvice Lakes region, site of Croatia’s first and largest national park.
Nature's color wheel is in constant motion at 114-square-mile (296-square-kilometer) Plitvice Lakes National Park (above) where 16 terraced lakes, formed by natural travertine dams, change hues throughout the day from bright turquoise to gray depending on the angle of the sun's rays and mineral makeup of the water. Well-maintained wooden boardwalks and trails link the lakes to the park’s centerpiece cascades, the largest of which—Big Waterfall—plummets 256 feet (78 meters) into the valley below. Home to abundant wildlife, including 261 species of birds, the walker-friendly park is divided into Upper and Lower Lakes sections bridged by the Lake Kozjak ferry.
Uruguay
A laid-back vibe, day trip-friendly dimensions (only 68,036 square miles/176,215 square kilometers), and lively beach scene make Uruguay a favorite getaway for the South American jet set.
The capital city, Montevideo, pulses to the rhythm of candombe, the thunderous Afro-Uruguayan, three-drum sound fueling spontaneous street parades, as well as the all-night Desfile de las Llamadas, the featured event of Montevideo Carnaval. In southwestern Uruguay, stroll the winding, cobblestone streets of Colonia del Sacramento’s 17th-century historic district—a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s only a 50-minute high-speed ferry ride from Buenos Aires—to explore the country’s Portuguese roots. Go west to the hilly interior to play gaucho at a luxury dude ranch or a more traditional working estancia, where tourists can trade labor for trail time. For sun and surf, hit the beaches of Punta del Este, the narrow peninsula dividing the waters of the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean.
Tunisia
With 713 miles (1,148 kilometers) of gentle Mediterranean coastline, Roman ruins and fortified casbahs, and glowing ribbons of Saharan dunes, Africa’s northernmost country offers adventure for all ages. Pictured here is a Roman ampitheater in El Jem, Mahdia, Tunisia.
In Tunisia’s sunbaked Matmâta region, explore the troglodyte lunar landscape (featured in the first Star Wars movie) and float—or walk, if the water has evaporated in summer—in the Chott El Djerid salt lake. June through September, hop aboard the historic Red Lizard train (Lézard Rouge) in Metlaoui for a 90-minute round-trip excursion through the Atlas Mountains. The narrow mining track winds through towering rock canyons and across barren flatlands to Seldja Gorge. Saharan expeditions include camel and dune buggy rides and camping in traditional Bedouin tents.
The eight-day Sahara Desert Trek led by adventure outfitter Exodus includes a five-day walking tour from the Sahara gateway Douz to the oasis village of Ksar Ghilane. One of North Africa’s best preserved Roman archaeological sites is Dougga, a window into life over 17 centuries in an indigenous Numidian city.
Shikoku, Japan
Mountain-ringed Shikoku—the smallest and least visited of Japan’s four main islands—is best known for its "walk of life," the 88-Buddhist-temple pilgrimage retracing the footsteps of the eighth-century monk and scholar Kōbō Daishi. Completing the 745-mile-plus (1,200-kilometer-plus) island-wide circuit on foot is an intense physical and spiritual workout that can take a month or more.
Save time—and your knees—by covering the steep route via bus and riding the train up Mount Koya, the pilgrimage’s traditional start and end point. Many Shikoku temples offer basic lodging for visiting pilgrims or o-henro-san.Affordable, traditional accommodations also are available at Shikoku’s rustic to luxurious ryokans, traditional, tatami mat Japanese guest houses. The island’s upscale Yamatoyabesso ryokan is located in Dogo Onsen, an ancient hot springs area welcoming nobility and artists to its therapeutic waters since the sixth century. Shikoku remains a thriving folk art center for weavers, washi(paper) makers, and candle makers.
Palawan, Philippines
Palawan’s limestone karst cliffs, coral atolls, mangrove forests, sugar-white sandy beaches, and extensive fringing reefs create one of the Philippines' most biodiverse terrestrial and marine environments. Designated as a fish and wildlife sanctuary in 1967, the Philippines' largest (in total land area) province encompasses nearly 1,240 miles (1,995 kilometers) of coastline stretching across 1,768 islands.
On the main island (also named Palawan) near Sabang, hike the three-mile (five-kilometer) Monkey Trail to Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park's navigable underground river. The five-mile (eight-kilometer) coastal rain forest route is home to long-tailed macaques, blue-naped parrots, and other indigenous wildlife. In the province’s northern Calamianes islands, Coron Island is considered one of the world’s top scuba diving destinations, offering World War II-vintage wreck diving and snorkeling in calm, crystalline waters. Nearby Culion Island, a former leper colony surrounded by sea grass beds and coral reefs, is an emerging ecotourism destination worth a day trip.
Tasmania
In Australia’s smallest state, remote rain forests, secluded beaches, and more than 200 vineyards are accessible by foot. Tasmania’s mild, maritime climate and compact size (comparable to West Virginia) make this heart-shaped island 150 miles (240 kilometers) off the Australian mainland a year-round destination for walkers and hikers of all ages, interests, and fitness levels.
Great Walks Tasmania features seven distinct, guided walking tours ranging from the moderate 14- to 18-mile (23- to 30-kilometer) Bay of Fires wilderness trek along the coastal rim of Mount William National Park to the gentler 12- to 28-mile (20- to 45-kilometer) gourmand’s ramble through Maria Island’s eucalyptus forest and pristine beaches. In 2011, Tasmania hosts the biennial Ten Days on the Island international arts celebration from March 25 to April 3, an event that features nearly 500 artists in 111 venues.
Sardinia, Italy
Glitterati flock by the yachtful to Sardinia’s serpentine northern Gallura coast, where exclusive Porto Cervo and Costa Smeralda are two favorite summer playgrounds. While a winding coastal drive—perfect for a red Ferrari roadster—offers dramatic Mediterranean views and a powerful adrenaline rush, the real rock stars of Italy’s second-largest island are the actual rocks, or more precisely, the prehistoric stone dwellings found in the mountainous interior.
Sardinia is home to more than 7,000 stone nuraghi towers, Bronze Age castles built between 1600 and 1100 B.C. Best known is Nuraghe Santu Antine near Torralba, a well-preserved nuraghic royal palace surrounded by the eerie remnants of a once thriving nuraghic village. To experience modern village life on an island where sheep outnumber humans by nearly three to one, check into Hotel Su Gologone in Oliena, where hearty guests can sign up to shadow a local shepherd for the day.
Scottish Highlands
Fierce Bronze Age warriors, Vikings, and Gaelic-speaking clans all have called the rugged Highlands home. Today, the primeval landscape north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault attracts outdoor enthusiasts drawn to the mist-shrouded mountains, shimmering lochs, sheer cliffs, and sandy beaches.
Cairngorms National Park—the United Kingdom’s largest thanks to the incorporation of Highland Perthshire—offers recreation at every speed, from hiking in Leanachan forest to kayaking in Loch Insh and the Insh Marshes Nature Reserve. At Nevis Range—Scotland's highest ski area and site of the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (June 4)—experienced bikers can take the U.K.’s only mountain gondola, which rises 2,132 feet (650 meters) up the slopes of Aonach Mor, to ride the 3.4-mile (5.5 kilometer) single-track Nevis Red Route down.
To experience more traditional sports like caber toss, tug-of-war, and piping competitions, cheer on the tartan-clad participants during Highland Games (above), held throughout the region from May to mid-September.
Dominica
A lack of white sandy beaches and an overabundance of rainfall keep this mountainous island of tropical rain forests off typical Caribbean vacation itineraries—a plus for adventure seekers.
Perpetual geothermal and volcanic activity—there are seven active volcanoes—make 285-square-mile (739-square-kilometer) Dominica, located between Guadeloupe and Martinique, a paradise in progress. Venture into the rugged landscape Spiderman-style on an Extreme Dominica canyoneering tour, which takes visitors rappelling down pristine waterfalls, deep gorges, and volcanic bedrock canyons. The seven-mile round-trip hike from Titou Gorge to Boiling Lake, a vapor-covered cauldron that reaches 198º Fahrenheit (92º Celsius), is strenuous but worth the panoramic Caribbean views from atop 3,000-foot (914-meter) Morne Nicholls, as well as the chance to explore the Valley of Desolation’s brightly colored sulfur springs, mini-geysers, and bubbling mud pools. Recharge at the locally built and staffed Jungle Bay Resort & Spa. The 55-acre (22-hectare) tropical retreat features 35 secluded, hardwood cottages perched high atop posts beneath the jungle canopy.
Emerald Coast, Florida
Autumn along northwestern Florida’s 24-mile-long Emerald Coast brings fewer tourists and lower, “value season” rates to the wide, sugar-white beaches of Destin, Fort Walton, and Okaloosa Island. The summer-worthy temperatures (highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s) are ideal for swimming in clear, emerald-green Gulf of Mexico waters or for golfing the more than 1,080 manicured, championship holes. October’s monthlong Destin Fishing Rodeo draws more than 30,000 saltwater anglers to the self-proclaimed World’s Luckiest Fishing Village to compete for daily, weekly, and overall prizes. Watch the daily weigh-ins of king mackerel, marlin, sailfish, and other game fish on the docks at A.J.'s Seafood & Oyster Bar. Sample fresh-from-the-docks seafood at historic Staff’s Restaurant, the Emerald Coast’s first eatery, which is housed in a 1913 barrel-shaped Fort Walton warehouse and open daily for dinner. The signature Broiled Skillet—grouper, shrimp, scallops, and crabmeat stuffing drizzled with cheese—comes with baskets of fresh-baked wheat bread.
Dublin, Ireland
Birthplace of Beckett, Joyce, and Yeats, Ireland’s capital and largest city is a youthful arts, entertainment, culture, and commerce hub. Fall brings fewer tourists and lower temperatures (40s and 50s in October), ideal for walking the historic Georgian streets and cruising the River Liffey. Discover your own Irish history at The Shelbourne Dublin, where guest amenities include a genealogy butler. Pack a hooded rain jacket (just in case) to explore the city’s 4,900 acres of public gardens, nature reserves, and parks, including center-city St. Stephen’s Green, which borders Grafton Street, one of the world’s most expensive retail locations. Stroll to main stage productions and film screenings at the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival (September 29-October 16). Along the way, nosh on traditional, paper-wrapped fish and chips at Leo Burdock. Healthier eats will be on the menu October 31, when more than 10,000 runners are expected for theNational Lottery Dublin Marathon, dubbed “the Friendly Marathon” for the affable crowds cheering on the pack.
Cannstatter Volkfest, Stuttgart, Germany
Munich’s Oktoberfest may be bigger, but Stuttgart’s Cannstatter Volkfest—billed as the world’s second largest beer-drinking event—is considered Germany’s more authentic celebration of local heritage and, of course, beer. Launched as an agricultural fair in 1818—a symbolic 78-foot-high “fruit column” pays homage to the past—the three-week festival (September 23-October 9, 2011) features live music, a re-created Alpine village, and carnival rides. The action centers on massive festival tents accommodating up to 5,000 revelers each. Between steins of pilsner, sample traditional Käsespätzle (Swabian noodles with cheese) and make time to retreat to the Stuttgart region’s terraced hillsides and natural mineral springs, as well as the nearby Black Forest. Recognized as a global car capital—both the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums are worth a visit—Stuttgart also is part of one of Germany’s largest wine growing regions. Sample this year’s vintage and homemade Swabian dishes at a cozy Besenwirtschaftenor “Besa” (wine inn). Hosted by local farmers and vineyard owners in their dining rooms, kitchens, and gardens, these temporary restaurants only operate for four months between September and April, when they serve up some of the region’s freshest, homegrown fare.
Pictured here: A woman pours beer inside a wooden tent at the Cannstatter Volkfest in Stuttgart, Germany.
Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, Switzerland
2 comments:
Dublin is happening in December for us! =D
wohooo!!!!
i can already taste the excitement~
xxxx
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