A new generation of travel entrepreneurs is putting Albania on the map, offering opportunities to dine with shepherds, dip into hot springs and raft in Europe’s first wild river national park

Weave between late-19th-century monuments on urban walking tours to learn about this defining era — and why it’s gilded with such intense nostalgia

The capital is blooming with revitalised neighbourhoods and new attractions, from the culinary to the cultural — and there’s no better time to visit than spring

The ‘Garden of Ireland’ is a fabled landscape of rivers, forest walkways and smugglers’ coves where visitors can forage, wild swim and follow woodland paths to monastic ruins

Ericeira has established itself as the ultimate playground for European surf culture. But tear yourself away from the beaches and adventures beckon inland, too, all less than an hour’s drive from Lisbon

Journey across southern Costa Rica and discover one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Home to extraordinary wildlife species and some groundbreaking eco-lodges, it is a place ripe for adventure

A new expedition is offering aspiring explorers a taste of Antarctica, all from the wilds of western Norway. Training amid the same topography that shaped the likes of Ernest Shackleton, learn to camp and cross-country ski with legendary polar guides

Caribbean beach towns cradled by an almighty barrier reef and showstopping Maya citadels half-buried in rainforest are among Belize’s crown jewels

Newly returned to the UK after four weeks’ detention, he reflects on his passion for uncharted places

In his new book, Explorer, the British adventurer discusses the story behind his 2017 ‘disappearance’ in Papua New Guinea and celebrates the lessons he’s learnt from Indigenous peoples

Against a backdrop of volcanic peaks, waterfalls and lagoons, new hotels and a raft of wild adventure tours are giving new edge to the lush Portuguese isle

County Kerry and West Cork are bastions of Celtic culture, their five Atlantic peninsulas home to historic monasteries and storied islands. Tracing this shoreline on a week-long road trip showcases Ireland at its most rugged, ancient and surprising

Framed by a necklace of puffing volcanoes and the glassy Lake Atitlán, Guatemala’s Western Highlands are the stronghold of modern Maya culture. Here, indigenous communities are steeped in faith, and traditional rites draw on the beauty of the land

Discover the youthful spirit of the Czech Republic’s second city, with its quirky attractions and a surprising gastronomic scene

The soaring canyons and sagebrush plains of northern New Mexico have attracted artists, spiritual seekers and free thinkers for over a century. A road trip through the high desert — encountering a hippy commune, artists’ studios, futuristic eco-homes and a Benedictine monastery — uncovers the weird, wild and wonderful soul of the American Southwest

Trace the very edge of the world on a new road trip around Iceland’s northernmost reaches. Here, long summer days spent exploring element-blasted peninsulas and fjords rich in marine life are teamed with stays in cosy fishing towns swirling with stories — after all, this is the land of sagas

A wave of civic pride has seen this one-time Michigan powerhouse bounce back from bankruptcy to become a vibrant hotbed of creativity

Churchill is one of the best places on Earth to view the northern lights. They dance overhead 300 nights a year — but it’s in the frozen months of February and March that the skies are at their clearest and the show really begins

Look beyond Kolkata’s colonial past and you’ll find the colourful street food stalls of Grey Town, the Hooghly’s buzzing riverbanks, and a cafe culture alive with spirited debate. The Bengali capital is no faded museum piece

Malawi is in the business of revival, be it creating Southern Africa’s newest safari destination by repopulating its epic wildernesses, opening a heritage hotel as a window to the grandeur of the colonial age or ushering travellers to its lakeside beaches

From its colourful, art-enriched streets to the warehouses where explosive games of tejo are played, Colombia’s capital is awash with offbeat charm

The isolated Pacific villages in the north of Chocó province cry out to those who dream of being cast away. From the equatorial rainforest to the Pacific ocean, this is one of Colombia’s last truly off-grid corners

Meet the elusive snow leopards of northeast Ladakh — India’s resident wildlife is as varied as the vast subcontinent itself. Grab your binoculars and head out on a safari with a difference

Santiago is shaking things up with a flux of funky new hangouts and downtown facelifts, but its foundation of boho barrios, dive bars and street food remains as solid as ever

Screw your courage to the sticking place, pick up your ice axe and strap on some crampons: the western terminus of the ‘W’ trek in Chilean Patagonia is the vast, foreboding Grey Glacier

Hiding amid the muddy tracks and long grasses of Assam, the one-horned rhinoceros proves an elusive beast in Kaziranga National Park

In a landscape that makes for thrilling vistas, the Queen of the Ranthambore wilderness proves hard to seek

The rugged volcanic scenery and show-stopping wildlife of Hokkaido island — Japan’s last true wilderness — are ripe for exploration

This mausoleum is so iconic that it borders on cliché. However, glimpsing the Taj Mahal is enough to blast away any lingering cynicism

Delhi’s mix of modernity and Mughal monuments is set to a soundtrack of car horns, but with new hostels opening up alongside five-star properties, a stay in India’s capital can also be a breath of fresh air