seas & oceans Archives | Page 2 of 4

Under the midnight sun: a surreal trip to Svalbard

28th November 202231st August 2022 by Kia

In the land of the midnight sun, Kia finds a place of raw nature, rare wildlife and one of her most memorable moments of travel

It is said that you can’t die in Svalbard, the remote archipelago that lies midway between Norway and the North Pole. The permafrost here not only preserves corpses, it sometimes pushes them to the surface. The truth is that authorities would prefer you didn’t die on Svalbard. Coffin burials are not allowed due to the permafrost, so critically-ill patients are usually flown to mainland Norway.

Where to stay in Cornwall – ranked by activity

21st February 202424th August 2022 by Atlas & Boots

An expert guide on where to stay in Cornwall whether you want to surf, sail, hike or cycle, or simply laze on a beach

The novelist and poet D. H. Lawrence once wrote that Cornwall is “like being at a window and looking out of England.” In this westerly point of mainland England, you will find a wild north coast of rugged cliffs and golden beaches, a calm south coast of sheltered waters and fishing villages, and dramatic moors in between. But Cornwall is not just a geographic microcosm; it also speaks to England’s heritage.

Durdle Door is one of the most iconic sights of the Jurassic Coast

Going coastal: 15 best sea views in England

26th October 202210th August 2022 by Kia

From brooding cliffs to storybook villages, we bring you a curated list of the best sea views in England

For a long time, Peter and I were ambivalent about the British staycation. For us, getting on a flight marked the start of a proper getaway. But then, a series of local trips began to change our minds. There was Clovelly, a picturesque fishing village on the north coast of Devon; Langley Castle in Northumberland; walking with my sister in the Chiltern Hills; and, for Peter, hiking the coast to coast and the South West Coast Path. These trips turned out to be some of our most memorable.

With views like this, you will want your own balcony

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

11th September 202316th February 2022 by 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?

A photograph of a gentoo penguin in Antarctica

In photos: 22 reasons to visit Antarctica

14th January 20239th February 2022 by Peter

From island-sized icebergs to close encounters with humpback whales, we share some of the myriad reasons to visit Antarctica

Antarctica was the final frontier for us. It was the only continent we hadn’t visited – our seventh – and a twice-postponed adventure that we had been planning for over two years.

Antarctica: why my seventh continent was more than just an ego trip

28th December 20221st February 2022 by Kia

Kia explains why a voyage to Antarctica finally gave her a sense of peace

I am one of six sisters, which has always earned me a certain cachet; a sort of second-hand, useless celebrity like that of air hostesses and identical twins. The last time I mentioned “all my sisters” in public, a stranger cut in to ask how many. People are often keen to know if we all get along, how often we see each other and what it was like growing up.

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.

Adventure travel books 2021: our top 10 picks

16th June 202227th January 2021 by Atlas & Boots

We share the best adventure travel books 2021 and explain why each should be on your reading list

From a cross-country road trip in a hostile America to boundless sand dunes in remote China, our crop of adventure travel books 2021 have one thing in common: their journeys are more than just physical.

25 sailing movies for when you’re knot shore what to watch

3rd June 202114th March 2020 by Peter

We share some of our favourite best sailing movies, from Hollywood blockbusters and indie films to illuminating documentaries

I still hang on to the rather fanciful notion of sailing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Until I pluck up the courage (and the funds), I’ve been busying myself with more realistic nautical escapades.

Game of throngs: how to beat the crowds in Croatia

25th August 202112th February 2020 by Kia

Despite its recent explosion in tourism, it is possible to beat the crowds in Croatia. Here, we show you how

I have unfinished business in Croatia. A few years ago, I came across some cheap flights to Dubrovnik and booked them without adequate research. It was summer. It was Europe. Surely, it would be easy, I thought.

Soon after, I realised that five nights in Dubrovnik in mid August was not a good idea. Since its use as a location in Game of Thrones, Dubrovnik has seen an explosion in tourism.

Jane Goodall is one of the most famous environmentalists of our time.

Stewards of the wild: 10 famous environmentalists that give us hope

13th January 202318th January 2020 by Kia

We profile 10 famous environmentalists, from the girl who lived in a tree for two years to the sea captain faced with Interpol arrest

I recently read a fact that stopped me in my tracks: in optimum conditions, some trees can live forever. They are vulnerable to predators, disease and natural disasters, but unlike humans, these ‘biologically immortal’ trees rarely die simply because they get old.

Eye-opening moments from our Caribbean cruise

11th May 20238th January 2020 by Kia

After a busy year of trekking and writing, we decided to treat ourselves to a touch of indulgence

I’m not going to lie: I was in two minds about our Caribbean cruise. We had initially planned a cruise in Alaska but it clashed with commitments around my book. We pushed back our dates to December and were left with one obvious destination: the Caribbean.

8 best things to do in Ilulissat, Greenland

31st August 20222nd October 2019 by Peter

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.

things to do in Ilulissat whale watching

Hiking around Ilulissat in Greenland: a complete guide

31st August 202225th September 2019 by Peter

Hiking around Ilulissat is the quickest and easiest way to get close to the immense icefjord that fringes the town

Ilulissat in Greenland is utterly unique in its location at the mouth of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ilulissat Icefjord. Nowhere else in the world is it possible to wake up at a hotel, eat breakfast and then stroll down to such a giant body of ice.

interesting facts about the arctic: midnight sun

Under the midnight sun: iceberg sightseeing in Ilulissat

31st August 202218th September 2019 by Peter

Iceberg sightseeing in Ilulissat is best done at night, not by moonlight but beneath the Arctic’s infamous midnight sun

Ilulissat is the Greenland you’ve always imagined. Positioned at the mouth of the 40km-wide Jakobshavn Glacier (Sermeq Kujalleq) itself buttressed by an immense icefjord, Ilulissat’s sprinkling of multi-coloured houses on the picturesque iceberg-strewn Disko Bay is one of the most wondrous settings on Earth.

Eqi Glacier boat tour: a journey to the edge of the world

31st August 202211th September 2019 by Peter

The Eqi Glacier boat tour takes travellers to the precipice of the planet. There you will find an almost supernatural experience

The gigantic Eqi Glacier in Greenland sits around 430km north of the Arctic Circle and around 1,600km south of the North Pole. On a planet of nearly eight billion people, very few carve out an existence at these latitudes.

Hiking Sørvágsvatn Lake, Faroe Islands

28th October 20223rd July 2019 by Kia

Blessed with a spell of good weather, we set off to Sørvágsvatn where the largest lake in the Faroe Islands stretches into the ocean

Sometimes, in the dead of British winter, I’ll console myself with the fact that at least I’m not on Cotopaxi. At least I’m not on Cotopaxi. Our 2015 glacier hike on Cotopaxi Volcano was probably the coldest I’ve ever been. My fingers were rendered immobile and my feet were hunks of ice and still we trudged on through rain, sleet and snow.

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.

Quiet Cornwall: 10 reasons to visit St Ives in winter

24th February 202127th March 2019 by Atlas & Boots

Blissfully quiet beaches, cut-price costs, cosy pubs and hearty grub – a St Ives winter break is the perfect antidote to a busy summer

It’s not hard to see why Cornwall is one of Britain’s most popular holiday destinations. It has 300 miles of jaw-dropping coastline, over 2,400 miles of inland walking paths, 12 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, four Michelin-starred restaurants and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Best sailing books: 25 tales inspired by the sea

25th March 202224th November 2018 by Peter

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.