AFAR Search

Go It Alone: Where to Hike, Meditate, and Breathe Among Trees This Year, All on Your Own

From practicing yoga in Sri Lanka to soaking in hot springs in Banff National Park, here’s where to treat your mind, body, and soul kindly.

January 23, 2026 12:37 PM

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Aislyn Greene

A person standing in front of a Lawson convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko, Japan, with Mt Fuji rising in the background

With routes inspired by Hercules and Hermes, the 1,000-plus-mile Peloponnese Trails network is scheduled to launch in June.

April 13, 2026 08:46 AM

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Helen Iatrou

Chilean Patagonia is synonymous with adventure and images of vivid turquoise lakes and massive granite spires.<br/>

Outdoor Adventure

9 Things to Know Before Hiking Patagonia’s Torres del Paine Iconic Treks

Get ready to experience one of the world’s best multiday treks in Patagonia’s hiker’s paradise.

August 18, 2022 06:32 PM

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Kathleen Rellihan

Kibale Lodge has views of Uganda’s Lugembe crater lake.

Stay Here Next

Channel Your Inner Jane Goodall at This New Primate Lodge in Uganda

The new conservation and community-minded Kibale Lodge puts visitors within easy reach of Uganda’s Kibale National Park.

November 18, 2024 09:14 AM

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Lisa Kadane

A white building tucked into a dramatic, steep cliffside lined with rocks and trees in Fonzaso, Italy

The new hiking paths include a 105-mile journey through the Dolomites in Italy and the world’s longest circular route in Portugal.

August 12, 2024 06:20 PM

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Bailey Berg

Visitors stand at the top of a mountain overlooking stunning fjords, islands, and a quaint village in the Lofoten archipelago. Couple hiking the Reinebringen mountain Lofoten Norway

Hiking + Cycling

21 Beautiful Hikes Around the World You Should Do in Your Lifetime

Some of these hikes are well known, some underrated. All are Afar tested and approved, bringing you closer to the Earth.

May 19, 2026 05:23 PM

A lone hiker looks out at fall colors in Monica Meadows, British Columbia, one of the many Mountain Trek retreat hikes.

Epic Trips

Bears, Trees, and Zero Coffee: What a Week-Long Wilderness Retreat Is Really Like

On a retreat with the wilderness outfitter Mountain Trek, one writer hikes through some of British Columbia’s finest wilderness—and, finally, hugs a tree.

October 12, 2022 04:59 PM

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Aislyn Greene

Natural Wonders

Is There Such a Thing as Ethical Animal Tourism?

A road map on how to responsibly integrate animals into your next vacation.

May 25, 2022 12:45 PM

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Lenora Todaro

Tips + News

Nepal Reopens to Adventure Travelers

Mountaineers and trekkers who agree to quarantine for a week at a hotel in Kathmandu—among many other restrictions—are now welcome back to Nepal.

November 4, 2020 02:20 PM

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Binaj Gurubacharya

As we trekked from Namche to Thame, we stopped in Thamo for lunch. The village was busier than usual, as the community worked on building a new stupa. These Buddhist dome-shaped monuments are frequently found throughout the area, and are filled with relics. Tree branches and pine needles burned on a pile of rocks to fill the air with incense as the men worked hard to construct the stupa.

In the Magazine

I Spent 12 Days Trekking to Everest Base Camp. Here’s the Story in Photos.

Images from a quieter hike to Everest Base Camp, filled with visits to monasteries, walks through ancient forests, and stops in local villages

November 6, 2024 08:43 AM

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Michelle Heimerman

Driving through the Sahara Desert with Accessible Morocco Consultants, Morocco.

Outdoor Adventure

I’ve Dived, Trekked, and Safaried the World in a Wheelchair—Here’s Who Made It Possible

After 20 years of traveling the world as a wheelchair user, Sophie Morgan highlights the people and operators making high-impact adventures more accessible.

March 20, 2026 11:13 AM

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Sophie Morgan

Six people hike along Switzerland's Great Aletsch Glacier.

Fall 2023

What It Was Like to Hike the Alps’ Largest Glacier

Glaciers are one of nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomena—they’re also extremely vulnerable to climate change.

October 19, 2023 07:48 PM

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Kathleen Rellihan

Epic Trips

Social Distancing With Gorillas in Rwanda

Rwanda reopened its international airport in August, and we touched down not long after, eager to see how responsible tourism can support the gorillas of Volcanoes National Park.

September 24, 2020 10:48 AM

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Greg Sullivan

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