heritage & ruins Archives

Britain’s best long-distance footpaths

19th June 202128th April 2021 by Peter

Britain’s best long-distance footpaths provide excellent access to the UK’s 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.

12 best hikes in Northumberland National Park

29th November 202013th June 2020 by Peter

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

Dave Head/shutterstock

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.

5 best day trips from Split, Croatia

21st December 202015th February 2020 by Atlas & Boots

Dreamer4787/Shutterstock

Croatia’s second city is a great base for exploring Dalmatia and beyond. Here’s what not to miss when planning day trips from Split

If Dubrovnik is a picture-perfect slice of old world charm, then Split is its slightly wearier cousin in the north. Built around the ancient Diocletian’s Palace, Split is a bustling maze of houses, churches and chapels but with all the conveniences of a modern tourist town.

Things to do in Bonaire: our top 12 picks

8th April 20205th February 2020 by Peter

We explore the best things to do in Bonaire, from pink lakes to secluded beaches and first-rate diving and snorkelling

Bonaire, a Dutch municipality in the Leeward Antilles of the Caribbean Sea, is known for its rich marine life, exceptional dive sites and desert landscape interior.

Bonaire is surrounded by a fine coral reef that lies meters from the shoreline, making it a snorkeller’s dream. The reef is a designated national marine park and is easily accessed via numerous entry points clearly marked on shore.

Diving the Sonesta plane wrecks in Aruba

28th May 202122nd January 2020 by Peter

Diving the Sonesta plane wrecks in Aruba was eerie and surreal, but ultimately thrilling

I’m hopeless at fish identification. My memory is awful and I don’t like diving with a fish ID slate – it just becomes a piece of clutter to add to the essentials (pressure gauge, regulators, dive computer and my camera). As such, unless it’s a lion fish, grouper, clown fish, whale, dolphin or shark, it’s unlikely I’ll be able to identify it.

21 interesting facts about Oman, the Land of Frankincense

2nd June 20214th January 2020 by Peter

Atlas & Boots

Interesting facts about Oman gleaned from our six-day dash through the north of the country

Perched in the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula at the confluence of The Gulf and the Indian Ocean, Oman has emerged from the isolationism of its past as an intriguing alternative for tourists to the region.

Things to do in Oman: our top 12 picks

9th April 20201st January 2020 by Peter

David Steele/Shutterstock

We explore the best things to do in Oman, from modern Islamic architecture to the jagged peaks of its wild interior

Oman is an intriguing blend of the modern world and old Arabia. Unlike some of its neighbours, overdevelopment is yet to saturate the country. Lying on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman is the oldest independent state in the Arab world, sharing borders with the UAE, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Best things to do in Muscat: 9 must-sees

9th April 202025th December 2019 by Peter

Alas & Boots

We explore the best things to do in Muscat, Oman’s delightful oceanside capital

Pinched between the mountains and the ocean, Muscat is a refreshing take on the skyscraper-choked cities of the Gulf States. The Omani port capital may not have the overt glitz of its high-rise neighbours, but it exudes an understated charm and natural beauty rarely seen in the more popular cities of the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain.

20 interesting facts about Pakistan

2nd June 202127th November 2019 by Peter

A polo player at the Shandur Polo Festival

UmairHaider/shutterstock

From savage mountains to political firsts, we share the most interesting facts about Pakistan

I recently visited Pakistan for the first time to complete the K2 base camp trek. I would be lying if I said that I had booked my flights without a hint of trepidation. Pakistan has long suffered from bad press, exacerbated by years of political instability. As such, there are still areas of Pakistan where travel is not advisable.

19 interesting facts about Greenland

2nd June 20219th October 2019 by Peter

We share the most interesting facts about Greenland collected on a visit to the spectacular polar region

My recent trip to Greenland was defined by highs and lows – literally and metaphorically. My up-and-down adventures trekking the Arctic Circle Trail were thrilling but also tinged with bitter disappointment when I failed to complete the trek due to a wildfire.

8 best things to do in Ilulissat, Greenland

10th April 20202nd October 2019 by Peter

Atlas & Boots

Our selection of the best things to do in Ilulissat will help you make the most of your time in this breathtaking part of the world

Ilulissat is the Greenland of glossy brochures. Smatterings of multi-coloured houses, iceberg-strewn waters, majestic sled dogs and gigantic glinting glaciers all contribute to the region’s raw photogenic appeal. It is quite simply one of the most spectacular environments on Earth.

7 things to do in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

12th April 20204th September 2019 by Peter

watching the wall while visiting the Greenland ice sheet and Russell Glacier

Atlas & Boots

Our selection of the best things to do in Kangerlussuaq will help you make the most of your time in this remote corner of the world

At first glance, the lonely settlement of Kangerlussuaq in Greenland might not seem much more than a necessary stepping-stone for travellers en route to Ilulissat, Greenland’s most popular tourist destination.

Visiting the Greenland ice sheet and Russell Glacier

11th January 202128th August 2019 by Peter

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.

10 best hikes in Dartmoor National Park

2nd June 202119th June 2019 by Peter

The view from the summit of Sheeps Tor best hikes in Dartmoor National Park

marcin jucha/Shutterstock

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.

18 interesting facts about the Faroe Islands

2nd June 202117th June 2019 by Peter

Tinganes is one of the most interesting facts about the Faroe Islands

Atlas & Boots

We share the most interesting facts about the Faroe Islands gleaned from our brief but bracing trip to these wild Atlantic isles

Positioned in the heart of the Gulf Stream, adrift in the North Atlantic at 62° north, the Faroe Islands lie to the northwest of Scotland – about halfway between Norway and Iceland.

The remote archipelago comprises 18 rocky islands connected by a series of tunnels, bridges and ferries. Just a short hop from the UK via Edinburgh, the islands are a paradise for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.

6 best national parks in Britain: my personal favourites

28th April 202115th June 2019 by Peter

britain’s best long-distance footpaths -northumberland- 9

Dreamstime

Having visited all 15 national parks in Britain, we take a look at the best of them

Known as Britain’s breathing spaces, the 15 national parks of the UK are home to the most inspiring countryside that Britain has to offer. There are 10 national parks in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland – all special in their own right.

10 great outdoor destinations – and their British twins

6th November 202025th May 2019 by Atlas & Boots

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.

17 interesting facts about Bolivia

2nd June 20212nd May 2019 by Peter

Atlas & Boots

A selection of the most interesting facts about Bolivia we picked up during our visit

Before we went to Bolivia, my entire education on the country came from this scene from the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Although our arrival in the country wasn’t quite as displeasing as Robert Redford’s, Bolivia did prove one of the more challenging countries we’ve visited. Cold showers, uninspiring cuisine and high altitude were just some of things we battled.

Cape Point: where two oceans meet?

13th April 202024th April 2019 by Peter

Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope are iconic geographic features, but are they really where two of the world’s oceans converge?

It makes for a fantastic publicity slogan, doesn’t it? The point at which two great oceans, the Atlantic and Indian, collide in powerful, eye-catching drama. It’s also highly convenient that this colossal spectacle takes place just an hour’s drive from one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Unfortunately, this bold claim made by countless tour operators in South Africa is not quite accurate.

UNESCO’s newest World Heritage Sites

13th April 202020th April 2019 by Peter

sanyanwuji/Shutterstock

From Inuit hunting grounds to sacred mountain monasteries, UNESCO’s newest World Heritage Sites have been formally recognised for their outstanding value

The aim of UNESCO’s list is to identify, protect and preserve sites of cultural and natural heritage considered to be of exceptional value to humanity. These sites include a range of locations such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, east Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt and Machu Picchu in Peru.

To be included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, nominated sites must be of “outstanding universal value” and meet at least one of 10 selection criteria.