Atlas & Boots, Author at Atlas & Boots

Best things to do in Ushuaia, the capital of the end of the world

20th April 202220th April 2022 by Atlas & Boots

Seven years after our first visit, we return to Tierra del Fuego to rediscover the best things to do in Ushuaia, the capital of the end of the world

There are few places left in the world that still evoke the romance of old-world exploration. They inspire nostalgia for a time we never knew; places to which we’ve never been.

We know their names in the same way we know Neverland and Narnia: shrouded in legend and lore. Cartagena, Antarctica, the Northwest Passage and Vinson Massif. Even men sounded greater then: Drake, Amundsen, Livingstone and Shackleton.

20 interesting facts about Antarctica

31st March 202230th March 2022 by Atlas & Boots

Antarctica is protected by the Antarctic Treaty

Reform-Furl581/Shutterstock

We share the most interesting facts about Antarctica collected on our recent trip to the seventh continent

For a long time, it seemed like our trip to Antarctica wasn’t going to happen. Covid postponed it from 2020 to 2021, and then again to 2022. Even after we got the green light, our nerves didn’t ease. If we tested positive for Covid, we wouldn’t be allowed to board the ship, and daily testing meant that we could be quarantined in our cabins even after setting sail. In short, it was more stressful than expected.

20 best books about Antarctica

16th May 202223rd March 2022 by Atlas & Boots

From harrowing accounts of survival to the heartwarming tale of a rescued penguin, we list our favourite books about Antarctica

The most inhospitable place on Earth is an engrossing setting for any story, be it fictional or factual. Unsurprisingly, Antarctica’s literary canon is filled with tales of tragedy and/or survival against the odds. It would be easy, then, to fill this list with biographies of Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton alone. But Antarctica deserves attention beyond its tales of tragedy.

Ranked: happiest countries in the world 2022

12th April 202218th March 2022 by Atlas & Boots

map of the happiest countries in the world 2022

Finland tops the rankings of the happiest countries in the world for the fifth year running

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.

Is Antarctica worth it? – and all your other questions answered

28th March 202216th February 2022 by Atlas & Boots

With views like this, you will want your own balcony

Atlas & Boots

Our expedition to the great white continent inspired a host of questions, most commonly: is Antarctica worth it? We share our answers below

The cynic, it is said, knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. It doesn’t make you a cynic, however, to question the value of a trip to Antarctica given the hefty price tag. Ranging from seven to twenty thousand dollars per person, it’s a once in a lifetime expense, so it’s perfectly natural to ask: is Antarctica worth it?

Ranked: world’s most powerful passports 2022

16th March 202215th January 2022 by Atlas & Boots

Japan and Singapore have the world’s most powerful passports with the UK and US in joint-sixth. We take a look at the rest of the results

It feels a little masochistic to look at the world’s most powerful passports after yet another year of recurring lockdowns. However, as we’ve said before, we remain hopeful about the future of travel. We believe that exploration is a human instinct and that as soon as it is safe, people will return to the road.

7 US national parks that require a reservation in 2022

31st January 202212th January 2022 by Atlas & Boots

The US national park service was reportedly banned from tweeting following its anti-Trump retweets

Dreamstime

America’s outdoor spaces are becoming increasingly congested, so more US national parks will require a reservation in 2022

In 1872, the US established Yellowstone National Park, the first protected site in the country and only the second in the world after Bogd Khan Uul in Mongolia. Yellowstone soon became the international standard for the preservation of biodiversity and cultural history; a standard that has since been widely replicated around the globe.

Best travel books 2022: our top 10 picks

30th April 20225th January 2022 by Atlas & Boots

Shutterstock

From a grumpy hiker’s outing in the mountains to the isolated shores of North Sentinel Island, we list the best travel books 2022

Travel memoirs are tricky beasts. In theory, 400 pages about someone else’s trip isn’t exactly appealing – like a protracted version of Jenny from Accounting’s week-long trip to Tuscany.

20 most beautiful mountains in the USA

18th December 202115th December 2021 by Atlas & Boots

Most beautiful mountains in America: Maroon Bells

Zhukova Valentyna/Shutterstock

The most beautiful mountains in the US are a contentious subject, for this is a land that brims with beauty. We scoured the states and whittled them down to a list of 20

Legendary climber Reinhold Messner said that there are three rules of mountaineering: “It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks.”

Which countries produce the most plastic waste?

16th December 20213rd November 2021 by Atlas & Boots

Per person, the US and UK produce more plastic waste than any other major country, according to new research

Plastic waste is polluting the entire planet. It has been found in the Mariana Trench (the deepest point in the ocean), falling from the sky in Arctic snow, embedded in Antarctic ice and secreted in the Alpine soils of Switzerland.

Winter hiking: 6 tips to get you started

8th November 202113th October 2021 by Atlas & Boots

Emerald_media/Shutterstock

Winter hiking without experience is taxing at best and lethal at worst. We share some tips to help you prepare properly

Winter hiking is a polarising sport: some love it, others hate it. Too often, people have bad experiences not because they’re inherently resistant to cold, but because they’re under-prepared. They make not just basic mistakes like packing the wrong gear but also arrive mentally unprepared.

Real-life hobbit houses that you can actually stay in

8th November 20216th October 2021 by Atlas & Boots

One of our favourite real-life hobbit houses

Nature.house

As travellers turn to nature in a post-pandemic world, we share 10 real-life hobbit houses that offer the perfect retreat

It’s said that humans are one of the most adaptable species on the planet. We have settled the High Arctic and explored the deep sea, making homes in the unlikeliest places. When circumstances change drastically, as they did in 2020, we are able to adapt rapidly to a new way of living. In fact, our collective slowdown last year was so profound, we saw immediate effects on the natural world.

10 great outdoor destinations – and their British twins

29th September 202129th September 2021 by Atlas & Boots

Durdle Door on the Jurassic Coast is one of our favourite outdoor destinations in Britain

Billy Stock/Shutterstock

From Alpine-esque peaks to Basque-country beauty, there’s a world’s worth of wonder right here at home

It’s strange that in a place literally named ‘Great’, we the British like to self-deprecate. We as a nation tend to regard blind ambition and gaudy success with a sense of mild distaste. We value modesty and restraint and seldom shout about our strengths.

Foreign Service Institute Language Difficulty Rankings

6th April 202221st September 2021 by Atlas & Boots

Shutterstock

Foreign Service Institute language difficulty rankings are an indication of how long a native English speaker would need to reach proficiency in a number of different languages. There are five categories, ranked from easiest to the hardest based on how many classroom hours a learner would need to reach professional working proficiency (i.e. Level 3 on the

How to prevent and treat blisters when hiking

29th August 202125th August 2021 by Atlas & Boots

How to prevent blisters when hiking lead image

Don’t let a pesky injury ruin your time in the outdoors. Our guide on how to prevent blisters will keep you on your feet

Whether you’re an experienced trekker or a newcomer to the trails, you will invariably suffer from one of the most common hiking injuries. To help you minimise the risk, we’ve put together a simple guide on how to prevent and treat blisters when hiking.

Altitude sickness symptoms and how to avoid them

2nd August 202128th July 2021 by Atlas & Boots

Dreamstime

Being young, fit and healthy doesn’t mean you won’t suffer from altitude sickness symptoms. Here’s how to identify, treat and prevent them effectively

Gracie is a student at Johns Hopkins, which offers one of the best medical training programs in the world. She is slim, fit and active. She doesn’t smoke, rarely drinks and always watches what she eats.

National parks in Wales: which one is right for you?

20th April 202221st July 2021 by Atlas & Boots

Llyn Fan y Fach is a 20,000 year-old glacial lake

Andreac77/Shutterstock

When it comes to Britain’s breathing spaces, the national parks in Wales compete with the best of them. Here, we explain why

Surrounded by sea on three sides, Wales is a dream destination for outdoor enthusiasts. While not as rugged as Scotland, or romantically perceived like Ireland, deepest Wales is just as beguiling.

Lonely corners abound on dramatic mountain passes, deep river valleys and weather-lashed cliffs. Scattered seamlessly across the natural landscape are Iron Age hill forts, Roman ruins and over 600 castles – more per capita, it’s said, than any other country in the world.

The travel that changed me: Vaseem Khan

26th March 20227th July 2021 by Atlas & Boots

The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Gateway of India in Mumbai, India

Aiko3p/Shutterstock

Award-winning writer Vaseem Khan tells us how India’s ‘city of dreams’ turned him into an author

There’s no denying it: Vaseem Khan is an overachiever. Born and raised in Newham (one of the UK’s most deprived areas), Vaseem went on to study at the London School of Economics, one of the best universities in the world.

Ranked: most peaceful countries in the world 2021

13th February 202230th June 2021 by Atlas & Boots

map of the most peaceful countries in the world 2021

Vision of Humanity

The most peaceful countries in the world have been updated for 2021. Read our insights from the study and browse the rankings below

Iceland is once again the most peaceful country in the world followed by New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal, and Slovenia.

However, the world is a less peaceful place as civil unrest and political instability has increased due to the global pandemic according to the latest Global Peace Index (GPI) report.

How to choose a sleeping bag: a buying guide

2nd June 20212nd June 2021 by Atlas & Boots

Our comprehensive guide on how to choose a sleeping bag will ensure a cosy night’s sleep whatever the temperature

Whether you’re a weekend warrior making a dash for the hills or preparing for a multi-day trek through the Himalayas, choosing the right sleeping bag can make or break a camping trip.