Europe

The iconic Matterhorn is one of the most beautiful mountains in the world

Mountaineering calendar: when to climb the world’s great peaks

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We’ve created a mountaineering calendar of the world’s greatest mountains and the optimal time of year at which to climb them, listed month by month

Since I first started climbing, I must have spent hours typing “when is the best time to climb…” into search engines and then crawling through websites to find the key piece of information I needed. Only when I have a date in mind can I start to think about the practicalities of actually trying to climb a mountain (i.e. booking time off work, flights, budget, gear etc).

Britain's last remaining wild places featured img

Britain’s last remaining wild places

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From desolate moorlands to windswept Atlantic islands, we take a look at Britain’s last remaining wild places

In Britain, wilderness has largely been abolished. The abolition began millennia ago. Between 7,000 and 5,000 years ago, around 75% of the UK was covered in forest. Then large-scale forest clearance started around 3100 BC when Neolithic agriculture was introduced. Now, the UK has around 13% forest cover, making it one of Europe’s least densely forested countries.

A lone house surrounded by rolling hills on the High Scardus Trail

High Scardus Trail in Albania: everything you need to know

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The High Scardus Trail in Albania is a wild alternative to the well-trodden Peaks of the Balkans Trail. Here’s all you need to know

“Welcome to Hotel Radomirë Korab,” Agron greets me with an enormous smile as I arrive at my lodgings. It’s the end of my second day on the High Scardus Trail and I am in dire need of a drink. “Can I get you a beer?” he adds, clearly reading my mind.

10 remarkable international borders

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From the heights of Everest to a humble library, we share the most extraordinary international borders from across the globe

My name is unremarkable, most people would agree. It’s so common that if you Googled ‘Peter Watson’, you would find the intellectual historian, the author and the arts benefactor – all different men – ahead of me. There’s also a producer, a chemist and a podcaster among others.

Ranked: world’s most powerful passports 2024

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In 2024, Singapore tops the list of the world’s most powerful passports. We take a look at the other winners, losers and non-movers

I was feeling cocky as I queued up for my Chinese visa. I had checked and rechecked the requirements and had all my documents to hand: my passport, a photocopy of my passport, a spare photo just in case, the form that had taken me an hour to fill in online, my flight details, and my tour and hotel confirmation. I had also signed and dated the form – in both places – unlike all the (clearly inferior!) applicants in front of me. 

Hikers traverse a cliff hiking trail in Malaga

5 thrilling hiking trails in Málaga, Spain

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From dizzying walkways to epic ascents, these hiking trails in Málaga are a superb way to tread beyond the touristy coastal resorts

For many, Málaga is simply a gateway to the crowded seaside resorts of the Costa del Sol. Relatively few will venture far from the beach. If they do, chances are they’ll head into the city which, after decades of being ignored by the masses, has undergone something of a reinvention. 

10 countries that can save Earth’s most-threatened species 

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From lush megadiversity to the unexpected entry at number 10, we review the countries that can save Earth’s most-threatened species

As a child, I lived with cockroaches in my family home. Our entire street had an infestation and it was months before the council got rid of them. I have seven siblings and not all of us fit on the sofa, so some of us would watch TV from the floor and I remember things scuttling by right next to my hand, making me leap up and scream. Sometimes, one would scurry across my pillow right before bedtime. This, quite understandably, gave me a mortal fear of bugs.

most peaceful countries in the world 2020

Ranked: safest countries in the world 2024

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The safest countries in the world have been updated for summer 2024. Read our insights from the study and browse the rankings below

Iceland is the safest country in the world followed by Ireland, Austria, New Zealand and Singapore.

However, the world is not as safe as a year ago as the average level of global peacefulness has deteriorated for the 12th time in 16 years. Ninety-seven countries recorded a decline in peacefulness while 65 registered an improvement according to the latest Global Peace Index (GPI).

10 famous trees cut down by humans

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Following the felling of the beloved Sycamore Gap tree, we dig into other famous trees cut down by humans

It was an act of vandalism that scandalised a nation. Britain’s iconic Sycamore Gap tree was cut down with a chainsaw in the early hours of 28th September 2023. The senselessness of the act was particularly poignant. There have been other famous trees cut down by humans, but there has usually been a reason: accident, protest, exploitation. In the case of the Sycamore Gap tree, it appears to be sheer malice.

The countries we most want to see

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Seven years after their original list, Kia and Peter revisit the countries they most want to see

In 2017, during a long trip through Asia, I asked Peter a question: if you could see only five countries before you die, what would they be?

My rule was that he couldn’t choose countries he had already visited, nor stateless territories (e.g. Antarctica). Fast forward seven years and he has seen four out of five countries on his original list, so I asked him to come up with a new one. Given that he has been to 100 countries and all seven continents, it wasn’t easy – but he managed it.

India couple smiling at the camera – happiest countries in the world 2024

Ranked: happiest countries in the world 2024

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Finland is the happiest country in the world for the seventh consecutive year. We take a look at the latest World Happiness Report

Happiness is a nebulous thing; hard to grasp and harder to hold onto. Scientists, economists and philosophers have defined it through the ages as a combination of different things, among them health, wealth, companionship and security.

The sun sets over the sea on a section of the English coast. A trail sign is seen in the foreground.

Britain’s best long-distance footpaths: 12 epic treks

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Britain’s best long-distance footpaths provide excellent access to the outdoors while showcasing the finest scenery our isles have to offer

When you think of the best long-distance hiking trails from around the world, little old Britain probably wouldn’t top of your list. Hikers will more likely be drawn to the Triple Crown of the Appalachian, Continental Divide and Pacific Crest trails in the US, New Zealand’s Great Walks or the famous Annapurna Circuit and Everest Base Camp treks in Nepal.

Wheal Coates at sunset – one of the best views in Cornwall

Best views in Cornwall: 12 Instagrammable spots

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From the birthplace of King Arthur to the westernmost point of mainland England, these are the best views in Cornwall

It’s easy to see why Cornwall is one of the UK’s most popular holiday destinations. This historic county has over 300 miles of jaw-dropping coastline with rugged cliffs and golden beaches, quaint fishing villages and bustling ports, while inland it boasts ancient forests and dramatic moors.

Hadrian's Wall Path and the best hikes in Northumberland National Park lead image

12 best hikes in Northumberland National Park

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The best hikes in Northumberland National Park reveal an underappreciated but utterly delightful expanse of English countryside

Amid the ancient rolling hills between the Scottish border and England’s industrial northeast, you will find Northumberland National Park. England’s most northerly national park is also the least visited in Britain and the least populated in England and Wales with just over 2,000 residents.

A vibrant sunset over staple tor in Dartmoor National Park

10 best hikes in Dartmoor National Park

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The best hikes in Dartmoor National Park showcase the very finest of England’s wildest landscape

I’ve always been fond of Dartmoor. I first visited as a child on a family holiday and I’ve returned regularly ever since to scope out the best Dartmoor hikes. Famous for its wild ponies, open moorland and craggy granite tors (free-standing rocky outcrops that rise abruptly from the surroundings), it is one of the few genuinely wild places left in England.

Horsetail Falls illuminated by the setting sun

The most stunning natural phenomena on Earth

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From the famous northern lights to the lesser-known sea of stars, we share the world’s most stunning natural phenomena

It’s firefall time. Every year, beginning around late February, the setting sun hits Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall at just the right angle to light the cascade in blazing orange and red hues, giving the appearance of flowing fire or lava. To celebrate the spectacle, we’re exploring the world’s most stunning natural phenomena.

The UN world food programme helps the world's poorest countries

Poorest countries in the world 2024 – ranked

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African nations continue to dominate the ranking of the poorest countries in the world based on the latest data from the World Bank

We all have preconceptions about places. Take Ethiopia, for example. As children of the eighties, Kia and I were only too aware of the struggles Ethiopia has faced historically: political unrest, civil war and, of course, famine.

It was easy then to imagine a vast desolate dust bowl ahead of our visit in 2017. 

Masaya is one of the most active volcanoes in the world

Most active volcanoes in the world

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From stewing lava lakes to fatal eruptions, we chart the most active volcanoes in the world

Nature has many fearsome wonders – earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis – but none so fearsome as the most active volcanoes in the world. These hellish peaks feature in tales of ardour and heroism, loom over humble settlements and whisper threats of violence and destruction. Though potentially lethal, they hold a magnetic beauty that thrillseekers find irresistible.

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