This demanding adventure amid granite domes and giant trees ends in a climb up Mount Whitney – and it’s worth every lung-busting step As soon as we set foot on California’s High Sierra Trail, the clamour of the world fell away, replaced by the rhythm of our footsteps, the chatter of forest birds and a […]

Kevin Rushby saw a way to fulfil his childhood dream with an adventure company in Sweden – but could he ski into the snowy wilderness on a twisted ankle? One British childhood winter experience remains the same, despite all the changes of the past century. It’s the one where you gaze out of the window, […]

The Finnish-style Hotbox is making waves on Benone Strand but Ireland has its own tradition of therapeutic ‘sweathouses’. Plus six more stylish beach saunas, from Shetland to Sussex It’s a late-October afternoon at Benone Strand on the Causeway Coast in County Derry, and the low sun is collapsing between wedges of dense cloud. There’s empty […]

With direct flights launching from London to one of America’s most charming cities, here are the places to delve into its history and Southern cuisine Walking tour A walking tour is a great way to explore the city at a leisurely pace and discover its impressive architecture, hidden alleys and other secrets. Charleston Strolls’ tours […]

New must-see exhibitions and canalside boutiques and indie stores make the French capital the perfect place for an autumn getaway The opening of a new hotel, a new gallery and two compelling exhibitions in two of my favourite galleries made a pre-Christmas Eurostar dash to Paris irresistible. The draw of the 91-room Bloom House Hotel […]

Tech money is changing a city loved for its location amid the great outdoors but its cool offbeat feel – and famous beer and coffee scenes – remain Brunch on Division St Division Street divides Portland in half, and a portion of the eastern section in the Richmond neighbourhood is buzzing with great affordable eateries […]

With Elvis’s Mystery Train playing on his headphones, our writer rides Amtrak’s Southwest Chief from Illinois to Arizona through big landscapes and small towns Things might have been different if only Jack Kerouac had known how to hop a freight train. His attempts, described at the outset of the book that gained him celebrity, were […]

Sauna shacks on beaches and lavish spas in luxuriant grounds are among our tipsters’ pick of places to unwind, everywhere from Albania to the Irish Sea Winning tip: All is fine on Loch Fyne, Argyll We were staying on the Cowal peninsula in October and took a scenic drive down to Portavadie, where there is […]

A powerful documentary about the Baltic state’s sauna tradition has proved a surprise hit. But what’s it like for an outsider to join this sacred and intimate space? “We are your sauna sisters now. Tell us what you’re afraid of.” The three women I have just met eye me expectantly. “Er, I wouldn’t say I’m […]

Tongass National Park is one of the world’s great, unspoiled forests – and it’s home to more brown bears than anywhere else on earth Through the droplets on the binoculars, some distance away, two unidentifiable creatures appear to be wading across the tidal creek. Deer? Wolf? Moose? A faraway brown bear and cub, in fact. […]