- trekking
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Great alternative trek to Machu Picchu and it takes in it all. Just book when you get there, you can usually go next day. Oh, and please don't take any notice of the Guardian's advertised £3.95 price (do they earn commision from this agent?). It costs around £120 pounds, all meals included with camping.
Any agent in Plaza de Armas
Casa Tío Juan is a self-catering rental house that sleeps up to 12. It's a traditional village house in the centre of Hoyos del Espino in the heart of the Sierra de Gredos. We had a great time there and will definitely be returning! Great mountains, stunning scenery and so much to do. The village has bars and restaurants, shops, a bank - everything that you could want within a few minutes walk. By car you can vistit Ávila, Toledo, Salamanca. The Sierra de Gredos is an undiscovered gem. Go before everyone else does!
A sky resort mainly, but there are some mountains you can climb and other trails you can follow.
A local told us you can follow a trail from Puerto de Navacerrada back down to the town of Cercedilla which takes about three hours.
Absoutely amazing views on top of the mountains of Madrid and Castilla y Leon. Makes for an amazing day out.
Take the train from Nuevos Ministerios, Atocha or Charmartin to Cercedilla where you change to take the train up the hill to Puerto de Navacerrada. Takes about two hours in total from Charmartin.
From there, follow other hikers up the hill and the various trail signs.
Take a walking trip led by a local Sami reindeer herder, through a stunning national park landscape with reindeers as your travelling companions. Learn about the importance of reindeer to the local people and see some of the most beautiful landscape Sweden has to offer.
Take the wonderful night train from Stockholm to remind you how train travel ought to be.
Alternatively arrange your own outdoor activities in this beautiful area.
www.pathfinderlapland.se/
www.gellivare.se/
Gällivare railway station (direct from Stockholm)
The classic four-day trek, the Inca Trail, to Machu Picchu now has an adventurous alternative. From Cuzco, I went across the scary Abra Malaga pass by local transport to the attractive warm jungle village of Santa Teresa and visited hot warm springs (very few foreign visitors at the present moment) and stayed with a local family in a rustic adobe lodge where fresh coffee beans were roasted in front of my eyes and papaya picked off the trees for morning breakfast!
The journey from Cusco to the jungle on to Machu Picchu with the local Quechua speaking guide involves one night staying by the hot springs in tents, one night with his family (a great experience!), a horse trek, some trekking and the final descent to Aguas Calientes at the foot of Machu Picchu. In the morning, rise early before the other travellers and take in this famous lost Inca citadel.
A more varied experience overall, following a different route to the majority of people and great to get to stay with a local family, even for one night!
Santa Teresa is about a fivehour ride from Cuzco. I travelled with the volunteering and alternative adventure travel organisation, Inka Magik, which works with local schools as well as the Cuzco guide and rustic lodge.
Hotel comprising separate chalets huddled on a hill with spectacular mountain views. Run by Sita and her husband with real affection and friendliness. They can organise treks (the hotel has been used by Everest teams) and will ply you with good local food and ensure you get up in time to catch the mind-blowing sunrises.
The Fort Resort - Nagarkot (City Office)
P O Box 3004, Lazimpat, KTM
Tel: 977 1 4432 960 / 4432 964 fax: 977 1 4432 958
e-mail: fort@mos.com.np
Seoraksan is the most popular national park in South Korea. Sadly, this means that the peace and solitude most people seek when heading for parks and mountains is hard to find.
The initial hour or two on most trails consists of tarmac/brick roads, but eventually you will come to steep paths and the inevitable steel staircase.
I have been in autumn and found it very pleasant with wonderful weather and beautiful scenery. But, as I mentioned, there are so many people you may have to find yourself queuing to reach the peak!
If you go to Seoraksan, stay in one of the many hotels/motels in nearby Sokcho. There is also a pretty good beach here as well as a street with many fish restaurants. Try the sushi!
You can get to Sokcho from Seoul by bus - take a bus from either Dong Seoul or the Express bus terminals. There is no train route.
You can then get the bus to Seoraksan - it takes about 30-40 minutes depending on traffic.
Tamatert guesthouse is about a 15 minute walk from the centre of Imlil. From the roof and the balcony of the guesthouse you have great views of the valley and Atlas mountains (www.petraroest.nl/images/index0.jpg - made me drool.
The guesthouse has double rooms, rooms with multiple beds, big living room, toilets, showers and medical facilities. Dinner and breakfast are included for the guests.
The guesthouse is run by three brothers (Mohamed, Jamal and Rachid Imerhane). They also helped people plan their treks in the mountains.
If you would like further information you can contact Jamal Imerhane by phone: 00212-7115-7636 or by email: jamaltrek@yahoo.fr.
Sardinia is all beautiful from north to south. Where you go depends on what you are looking for, but if you are looking for the unusual and the most authentic side of Sardinia, then you have to aim for its rocky heart.
From the villages of Oliena and Orgosolo with those beautiful and controversial murales (graffiti) to Mamoiada and its mysterious carnival masks; from the spectacular views of the supramonte of Oliena down to the woods of Gavoi, Tonara, Fonni.
And, if you still miss Sardinia’s blue waters among all this green, head for Tortoli and visit its golden beaches, or go all the way up to the Gulf of Orosei stopping every now and then to enjoy its paradise bays.
There is so much you can do and see in this area of Sardinia, trekking, hiking, visiting some incredible archaeological sites such as Tiscali - yes, this was a Sardinian site long before being a Sardinian web company!
Our last excursion included a visit to Orgosolo and an outdoor lunch with the shepherds - delicious! If you like strong cheese, fresh bread and suckling pig that is.
We also took a guided tour of the mountains (Supramonte of Orgosolo) in an off-road vehicle. It was great, the shape of the rocks, the vegetation and the animals that you can view are unbelievable.
We finally allowed ourselves some time to view the Museum of the Masks in Mamoiada and to discover more about the ancient rite of carnival here. Nothing like you can imagine. Forget about the lovely, elegant masks of the Venice carnival. Here it is a totally different story!
Plan your itinerary very well. Roads are not always very good and because of the mountains you might need to drive much longer than what you expected to cover such small distances.
Orosei is a good place to reach both stunning beaches (e.g. Cala Gonone, Cala Liberotto) and the mountains (Oliena, Orgosolo, Mamoiada and Dorgali) for day excursions.
If you are staying for at least a week, it is worth spending a few nights in a agriturismo (farm house) around here.
From Arbatax you can easily reach the beautiful costs of Tortoli, Barisardo, Santa Maria Navarrese, Baunei and head for the mountains around Tonara, Aritzo, Sorgono where, again, you should spend a few nights.
In both cases you should hire a car, although some places can be reached in the summer season with the Trenino Verde, a tourist train.
Laos is a mountainous and landlocked country located in the centre of Indochina. It has common borders with China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Laos is 236,800 sq. km in land area, the major part being mountainous and forested. Geographically, the country is divided into three areas: the North, the Central and the Southern parts.
Laos is an adventurer’s paradise, offering treks to off the beaten track destinations that few tourists get to. It’s a country that receives relatively few visitors and that is one reason why it is so special and why we love it.
Founded in 1994, Buffalo Tours pioneered adventure travel in Vietnam as well as Laos and Cambodia. This operator is great for day trips, kayaking, and trekking tours nationwide. You will find a wealth of touring options to whet your appetite.
94 Ma May Street
Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Websites:
www.buffalotours.com/
www.buffalotours.com/Tours/Adventure
Small well-run agency. Does extended treks, but we used them for day treks including fabulous trip to Lago Churup (4500m). Great guides, efficient, helpful, fun.
www.huascaran-peru.com
welcome@huascaran-peru.com
We found them through the hostel we were staying in, Churup Albergue
Helicopter company Airlift offer a number of flight itineraries from their base in Kinsarvik. It’s a thrilling way to survey the fjord, swooping low through canyons, over the water and soaring above the mountains to where the Hardangervidda begins.
During the winter this sizeable mountain plateau is a cross-country skier’s heaven. In summer, when the snow melts, the land takes on a slightly barren and desolate appearance but a network of marked trails and rest huts open it up as a hiking destination. A popular jaunt is the six-hour round trip to the Trolltunga (Troll’s tongue), a dizzying outcrop of rock where those with a strong stomach can stand and enjoy an impressive panorama.
Florence and Tuscany in general are two of the best Italian regions where you can take part in active and outdoor sports.
The best path is the 'Via Francigena', an historical itinerary leading to Rome from Canterbury.
The main attractions to see are:
- Florence
- Siena
- Val d’Elsa (presented in the books of Dante and Boccaccio)
- Certaldo
- San Gimignano (declared by UNESCO to be part of the 'World's Architectural Heritage')
- The Chianti region
A remote and green farming valley sending potatoes all the way to India. Visit the museum in an old Dzong with displays of rural crafts, costume, and telling about local history including the arrival of the British from colonial India. Swiss cows roam the riverside.
Walk over the chain bridge from the monastery at the head of the metal road, and up to the museum in a semi-restored courtyard house sititng high over the valley.
Peruforyou is a tiny volunteer organisation based in Huancayo. They offer Spanish lessons to tourists in exchange for English lessons and health schemes given to local orphans and street kids.
You are placed with a local family to live and experience real Andean life. They also offer superb jungle treks - highly memorable and so rewarding.
I recommend taking a pair of flip flops or sandals to wear after your day of trekking - it's far more pleasant than keeping your sweaty boots on! Additionally, take more money than you think you'll need, as there is water and beer to be bought en route, and you'll want to be generous with your tips for the porters and guides.
The crossing is a day-trip across the extinct volcano of Mt. Tongariro. It requires some effort, but the rewards are worth it once you reach the moon-landscape and startling colours of the upper crater. To the south lies the still active cone Ngauruhoe, and to the north lake Taupo, which is a caldera resulting from one of the largest ever supervolcanic eruptions. The descent through tussock and native bush rounds off the trip nicely.
They do whole-Peru guided tours or also couples - every detail arranged. Group travel or individual packages. Specialise in adventure tourism such as trekking and climbing expeditions.
South-west New Zealand, or Te Wahipounamu, is one of the country's three UNESCO world heritage sites and to properly experience it you need to go bush.
There's a track for every level of experience, check with the DOC (Department of Conservation) for detailed information. Whether squelching through dense beech or podocarp rainforest, scrambling across scree slopes above glacier valleys, striding over tussock-clad alpine passes, or gazing at the incredibly clear night sky from your tent, there is a memorable experience waiting for you.
Self-sufficiency is the keyword - take only what you need and bring everything back out. Leave your need for creature comforts behind and embrace nature.
Great tracks include the Rees-Dart (forest/sub alpine), the Hollyford (rainforest) and the Young valley (sub alpine).
www.fourcorners.co.nz/new-zealand/world-heritage/
www.doc.govt.nz/templates/ByRegionLanding.aspx?id=35796
Send your feedback or queries to been.there@guardian.co.uk
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