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a cruise ship in the Caribbean

20 cruise tips for beginners

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Our cruise tips for the uninitiated will help you get the most out of your trip while avoiding confusion and potential embarrassment

In May last year, I posted the below photo to Facebook with the caption ‘My birthday swag describes me in a nutshell: aspirational but lowbrow at heart.’ And it’s true: despite the ballet shows and horseriding lessons, I’m a working-class girl at heart. You will understand then why our 16-day cruise from Tahiti to LA via Hawaii was a bit of a test in terms of etiquette.

scuba diving movings best flicks

Scuba diving movies: 23 of the best underwater flicks

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We list the best scuba diving movies of all time, from thrilling underwater epics to Hollywood blockbusters featuring incredible subaquatic scenes

With the dark depths of the ocean as a backdrop, the threat of a turbulent sea and an ever-dwindling air supply, scuba diving should be ripe for spectacularly tense movie plots.

Cappadocia was one of our top-instagram-shots-2019

Our top Instagram shots of 2019

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Our final blog post of the decade takes a look at our top Instagram shots of 2019

Kia has already ruminated on how 2019 has been a strange one for us. She’s spent so much time focused on her book that I have travelled without her to Nepal, Greenland and Pakistan. These were all multi-week trips meaning we spent more time apart in 2019 than ever before.

puffins arguing on Mykines, Faroe Islands

Atlas & Boots’ top 10 posts of 2019

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Our top posts of the year resonated strongly with readers across the globe. Here, we share what hit the top 10

This year has been a strange one. I’ve been at home for most of it launching my novel Take It Back and writing its follow-up. Meanwhile, Peter has travelled without me to countries I really want to see: Nepal, Greenland and Pakistan. 

Russell Glacier lead image

Visiting the Greenland ice sheet and Russell Glacier

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Visiting the Greenland ice sheet and Russell Glacier offers an unparalleled opportunity to observe the country’s infamous interior

The understated and lonely settlement of Kangerlussuaq in Greenland feels like the edge of the world. Despite lying 50km north of the Arctic Circle, however, there is little evidence of the spectacular scenery that can only be found in the most extremes of the planet: the Polar Regions.

Greta Thunberg on a poster

Why Greta Thunberg makes us so uncomfortable

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Greta Thunberg, a school-age climate activist has made us face some harsh home truths

Greta Thunberg is a threat. She’s a threat to the multi-billion dollar livestock industry and the mighty fossil fuel lobby.

In fact, she’s a threat to our very way of life. She calls into question the idea that we – as free-willed, self-determining individuals – should have the right to consume as much as we want, be it travel, food or leisure. 

As a traveller, not travelling

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Kia takes stock of the past year and shares what it’s like to stay in one place

The last 12 months have brought immense amounts of change for us here at Atlas & Boots. A year ago, Peter and I were living out of Airbnbs while house-hunting in the Yorkshire Dales. We viewed 22 properties, put half-hearted offers in for two of them and then saw our 23rd house which we fell in love with. It wasn’t perfect (no outdoor space and in need of a lot of work), but the 300-year-old stone cottage with its wooden beams and cobbled street seemed perfect for a writer. If you stick your head out of the skylight, you can even see a castle. 

Best climbing documentaries: 25 tall stories

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The best climbing documentaries showcase the world’s finest climbers pitting their skills against the world’s toughest climbs

Recently, we watched two great climbing documentaries: the acclaimed Free Solo (2018) at our local cinema and then The Dawn Wall (2018) on Netflix.

Both films focus on attempts on Yosemite’s El Capitan via different routes and using different climbing styles.

While Alex Honnold’s free solo of El Capitan was perhaps the most vertigo-inducing film we’ve ever seen, it was the human story behind Tommy Caldwell in The Dawn Wall that we found more compelling.

A close up of water droplets on a red Gore-tex waterproof jacket

How to choose a waterproof jacket: a buying guide

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Our detailed guide on how to choose a waterproof jacket will help you find the gear that best suits your needs

A waterproof jacket is an essential piece of outdoor kit and should be in everyone’s backpack whether you’re hiking, climbing or cycling. 

Knowing how to choose a waterproof jacket, however, can feel a bit like alchemy. With so many different fabrics, constructions and features used in outdoor clothing, selecting the right jacket has become a real test.

5 travel problems only women will understand

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For all the rhetoric about fearless female travel, there are certain problems that still endure. We tackle some below

It’s been almost five years since Peter and I packed up and left the UK for a year-long trip around the world. Many things have changed since then – some for the better and some for the worse, both at home and abroad.

Canyoning in La Fortuna, Costa Rica

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Canyoning in La Fortuna with its waterfall rappels and cavernous ‘falls’ proved to be Costa Rica’s biggest thrill of all

Beneath the hulking slopes of Arenal Volcano in northwestern Costa Rica is the small town of La Fortuna. With a wealth of natural attractions nearby including lush rainforest, extensive hiking trails, myriad hot springs and two gargantuan volcanoes (Cerro Chato is also within easy reach), it’s not the town itself that draws visitors to this green district of Costa Rica.

largest rainforests in the world amazon

12 largest rainforests in the world and where to find them

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The largest rainforests in the world are some of the most vital ecosystems on our planet. We look at where they’re located and why they need protecting

Home to over half the world’s plant and animal species, the largest rainforests in the world absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping maintain the balance of the air we breathe while simultaneously playing a critical role in curbing global warming.

Photo backup how to keep your memories safe lead

Photo backup: how to keep your memories safe

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After learning the hard way, we share our tried and tested photo backup systems to help you keep your photographs safe

It was in the Cotopaxi region of Ecuador that we met Michael, a fellow backpacker who had spent the previous weeks on a surfing trip of a lifetime. Earlier in the day, Michael’s GoPro had dislodged from its extender during a jump into a waterfall and sunk to the depths below.

Atlas & Boots’ top 10 posts of 2018

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From topical debates and trip reports to how-to guides and personal pieces, we publish a wide range of posts every year. Here’s our pick of 2018

Well, this has been an eventful year. We kicked off 2018 with a month in Australia followed by a trip to New Zealand on commission for Lonely Planet as part of our Trailblazers partnership. We followed up with various projects for Lonely Planet including judging their flagship Best in Travel 2019 campaign and speaking at their Diversity in Travel Writing event in London.

another montage of eight sailing books

Best sailing books: 25 tales inspired by the sea

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A list of the best sailing books including memoirs, novels and biographies, constituting the most fascinating nautical tales ever penned

After recently compiling a list of the best sailing movies we’ve seen, I was prompted into some related reading. Fresh from a delivery of sailing bestsellers (and less-sellers), I’ve put together a list of the best sailing books.

Desconnexions lead

Call of the wild: disconnecting from daily life

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A strange evening with Desconnexions in Catalonia reminds us why it’s so important to get off our laptops and occasionally leave our phones at home

I was on Wikipedia reading about a 2015 controversy involving a judge on the New Zealand version of X Factor when I realised I was doing it again: wasting time reading about a person I didn’t know involved in an event I didn’t care about on a show I didn’t watch.

I had fallen down the internet rabbit hole – again.

A backpack with a sleeping mat

How to choose a backpack: a beginner’s guide

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Our beginner’s guide on how to choose a backpack will help you make the best choice for your backpacking needs, ensuring comfort and reliability

Whether you’re on a day hike through gently rolling hills or an extended expedition crossing an ice shelf, knowing how to choose a backpack most suited to your trip will make it infinitely more enjoyable. 

There are myriad options available and it can be a confusing affair, but getting it right will ensure comfort and reliability day after day.

A lake in New Zealand, one of the world's least densely populated countries

Crowd control: the world’s least densely populated countries

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Are those living in the world’s least densely populated countries happier than those living in more crowded ones?

Finland was recently named the happiest country in the world. As with previous years, it is clear that developed, conflict-free nations with stable governments tend to rank higher in these indexes.

What’s interesting is that many of the world’s happiest countries also have relatively low population density. Finland, Norway, Iceland, Canada, New Zealand and Australia all have fewer than 20 people per square kilometre (followed closely by Sweden with 22.12), and all appear in the top 10 happiest countries.

lessons from travelling the world

I’ve officially travelled the world. Here’s what I’ve learnt

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Seven years ago, I asked a question on Quora: what qualifies as having travelled the world? It prompted an interesting discussion there and, later, here on our own site. We decided that it wasn’t the number of countries visited or borders crossed that mattered, but the number of Risk map regions you had seen. The logic was that visiting half of the 42 Risk regions would offer a better sampling of the world.

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